Mirage

Mirage is like a magic trick that happens when it's really hot outside. When the sun heats the ground, it makes the air close to the ground hotter too. This hot air is called a "thermal", and it rises up into the cooler air above it.

When light passes from one thing to another, it can bend or change direction. This is called "refraction". And when light passes through hot air and cooler air, it bends even more.

So, in a mirage, the hot air near the ground makes the light from the sky bend a lot as it passes through it. This makes it look like there's water on the ground, or like objects are bouncing or floating above the ground.

But there's really no water or floating objects. It's just a trick of the light and the air. It's kind of like when you look at a straw in a glass of water and it looks like it's bending.

Mirages are really cool to see, but it's important to remember that they're not real. So, if you're ever lost in the desert and you think you see water, don't go running towards it!