Reports have surfaced from the desolate expanses of the arid plains, detailing the intervals between mirage formations—a subject once relegated to the fringes of atmospheric studies. These intervals, perceived as brief snapshots of altered realities, pose questions about visual perception and the physics of light refraction.
Untamed were the conditions under which these mirage intervals emerged, as witnessed during the midday sun’s zenith. Observers, though few, reported images of ephemeral oases, shifting with the caress of the wind, only to dissolve into the haze once more.
According to the observations made by Dr. Elara Finch in her treatise Beyond the Glass[^1], the science behind these phenomena is intricately connected to temperature differentials in the atmosphere. Finch elaborates on the optical distortions caused by layers of varying densities, creating temporary illusions indistinguishable from reality at a distance.