Distinguishing a mirage from a real object via a polarizer

[bdc142]

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TBR

How can a mirage, the result of refraction of light, be distinguished from a real object?

The answer is "Look through a polarizer" because the intensity should change for a refracted light (aka the mirage), but not for a real object. I don't get this, I thought that intensity would still change from a real object? If you use a polarizer to look at the sun (a real object 😉) which has unpolarized light, the intensity should change by 50%, right?

 

[Morsetlis]

http://arago.elte.hu/new/files/MiragePol_NAWI.pdf

Mirages bend light, retaining polarization.

Reflections partially polarize light horizontally.

So I have no idea what the question is talking about 😛

 

[theseeker4]

TBR

How can a mirage, the result of refraction of light, be distinguished from a real object?

The answer is "Look through a polarizer" because the intensity should change for a refracted light (aka the mirage), but not for a real object. I don't get this, I thought that intensity would still change from a real object? If you use a polarizer to look at the sun (a real object 😉) which has unpolarized light, the intensity should change by 50%, right?

I assume the answer means if you look through a polarizer, and rotate it, the intensity of the mirage will increase and decrease during the rotation, while the intensity of the real image will remain the same. The light of the mirage will be polarized whereas the light of the reflected object will not (or not to nearly the same degree), so rotating a polarizer will alternately block out, then allow transmission of, the polarized light from the mirage.

Not sure if this is what they mean, but that is how I interpret what you wrote above.