Suspend your disbelief!

When I started researching mirages, I learned as much as I could about how and why mirages happen. I read every explanation I could find, from articles in Scientific American, to textbooks from the 19th century, to children's books about science. Nearly every explanation, by the way, is illustrated with pictures of right-side-up and upside-down palm trees.

Inferior Mirage Bemidji, Minnesota 1:30 p.m., July 6, 1997
	This was a fabulous mirage! We parked at the side of the road, just off the end of the runway. The whole runway shimmered! Just as I turned my camera on, a small plane fired up its engines and headed my way. The plane turned onto the runway and started to pick up speed. It looked like it was skating along on the surface of a lake. Finally, it lifted off.
I understand a little bit about how mirages work, so I had no reason to think this was anything but a mirage. The conditions that day were perfect for inferior mirages. But - I really rather imagine that I was watching the plane skip along the surface of a lake.

What if you want to believe what you see (even if you know it is just an illusion)? next...

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