Where do ghost ships and other atmospheric mirages come from?

 The history of humanity is full of stories about inexplicable phenomena that amaze, intrigue, and sometimes terrify. For centuries, these observations have been attributed to gods, spirits or supernatural beings. In the age of science and technology, many, but not all, of these phenomena have been explained.

One of the most intriguing phenomena was an observation made by the crew of the ship Matador in the late 19th century in the Pacific. According to reports, under the tropical moonlight, sailors watched a huge sailing ship battle a storm against the backdrop of a calm ocean. This ghostly ship, almost spiritual in nature, suddenly appeared before the Matador and then just as suddenly disappeared. But more surprisingly, these events seemed to echo a real accident on another ship on the same night.

To understand such phenomena, many scientists turned their attention to the laws of optics. When light passes through mediums of different density, such as air and water, it experiences refraction. This refraction can sometimes cause distortions that give the illusion of objects being present where they are not. Such distortions, although fascinating, are not uncommon. In fact, these phenomena are well known to sailors and travelers near the poles, where deviations in light can cause objects to float above the horizon.

However, other aspects of these relationships cannot be discounted, such as the emotions and feelings of people observing these phenomena. Can observations made under conditions of extreme stress or fatigue be fully trusted? Is it possible that some details were added or distorted in the process of conveying the story?

Ultimately, although many scientists and researchers have tried to understand and explain these mysterious observations, not all of them have been fully understood. Undoubtedly, understanding light refraction and other optical phenomena has helped explain many of them, but not all of them. And while many of these mysterious phenomena may one day find a scientific explanation, some things may remain beyond our understanding.