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The Scoresby ship mirage of 1822

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2009

W.H. Lehn  and
W.G. Rees
W.H. Lehn
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, CanadaR3T 2N2
W.G. Rees
Affiliation:
Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1ER
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Abstract

A very clear mirage observed by Scoresby in the Greenland Sea shows an inverted ship floating above the horizon. This mirage can be mathematically reconstructed using a linear image diagram. Scoresby's description is here re-examined: anew set of essential assumptions is distilled from his report, and an ‘exact’ reproduction of the mirage is obtained to match these conditions.

Type
Articles
Information
Polar Record , Volume 26 , Issue 158 , July 1990 , pp. 181 - 186
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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