Mirage of astronomical objects

Imagine you are standing outside on a hot day and you see a puddle of water on the road. It looks like there is water on the road, but there isn't really. This is called a mirage. A mirage makes something look like it's there when it actually isn't.

The same thing can happen when we look at the sky. Sometimes we see things that look like they are in the wrong place, or big or small, or distorted. This can happen because the air in our atmosphere is not a smooth, flat layer. It is made up of lots of different layers and pockets of air, each with its own temperature and density. These different layers can cause light to bend and refract, which changes the way we see things in the sky.

For example, if we look at the sun as it rises or sets, it can look bigger and distorted because the light has to pass through more of the Earth's atmosphere. This can create a mirage that makes the sun look like it's moving up or down, or like it's on fire.

Similarly, when we look at stars or planets that are close to the horizon, they can appear to be distorted or even disappear altogether. This is because the light from these objects has to pass through more layers of air, which can bend it in different directions, making it look like the object has moved or vanished.

So, the mirage of astronomical objects is the way that the air in our atmosphere can change the way we see things in the sky, making them look distorted or in the wrong place.