Thermal distortions


Key Takeaways:

  • Atmospheric refraction bends sunlight near the horizon.
  • This bending makes the Sun appear distorted.
  • The effect is stronger when the ocean is cooler than the air.
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Massimo Tamajo from Syracuse, Sicily, Italy

The effects of atmospheric refraction can distort the appearance of the Sun near the horizon — especially when atmospheric inversions are created above an ocean that is cooler than the air above it.