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A mirage is a phenomenon caused by a relative difference in the index of refraction between two air masses. Typically this refractive index difference results from a difference in temperature; one air mass is much hotter than the other. In the summer, air close to a heated land surface (such as asphalt) is much hotter than air a few feet higher. Rays of sunlight passing through the cooler air mass to the hotter air mass bend, causing a mirage. Summer temperatures can create enough of a temperature difference between the air masses to create a mirage.

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