Mirage over dry lake (w-531-30)

In gallery: Photos of the month (2003)
Related photos: Atmospheric optics Atmospheric refraction Inferior mirages (land)

An inferior mirage, visible over a dry lakebed. Mirages like these are fairly common in summer over flat grounds, when the sun heats the surface and a strong temperature gradient develops over the surface.

Photo taken near Salina Lake in central New Mexico, USA, using a Nikon FE with 1000mm Maksutov lens at f/10, at 1/250 sec. shutter speed on Fuji Provia 100F film.