Did Monge really explain inferior mirages?
Gaspard Monge has received undue credit for his observations of mirages in 1798 in Egypt. He did not discover inferior mirages; they were known to sailors before 1687, and the term mirage had entered the French literature in 1753. Monge’s “total reflection” explanation for them was seriously flawed...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Académie des sciences
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Comptes Rendus. Physique |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/physique/articles/10.5802/crphys.106/ |
| _version_ | 1797517950330077184 |
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| author | Young, Andrew T. |
| author_facet | Young, Andrew T. |
| author_sort | Young, Andrew T. |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Gaspard Monge has received undue credit for his observations of mirages in 1798 in Egypt. He did not discover inferior mirages; they were known to sailors before 1687, and the term mirage had entered the French literature in 1753. Monge’s “total reflection” explanation for them was seriously flawed; it had already been considered and rejected by Gruber and by Büsch, and was promptly criticized by others. Yet he continues to be given credit for the first scientific explanation of mirages; and his false total-reflection mechanism survives today in some textbooks. Apparently this is due to its superficial simplicity, which appeals to novices. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:23:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8fac0fbf8a714d7bb8a1bdc00e6c3d12 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1878-1535 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:23:20Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Académie des sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Comptes Rendus. Physique |
| spelling | doaj.art-8fac0fbf8a714d7bb8a1bdc00e6c3d122023-11-22T14:26:46ZengAcadémie des sciencesComptes Rendus. Physique1878-15352022-12-0123S146748110.5802/crphys.10610.5802/crphys.106Did Monge really explain inferior mirages?Young, Andrew T.0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1994-9211Astronomy Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, 92182-1221, USAGaspard Monge has received undue credit for his observations of mirages in 1798 in Egypt. He did not discover inferior mirages; they were known to sailors before 1687, and the term mirage had entered the French literature in 1753. Monge’s “total reflection” explanation for them was seriously flawed; it had already been considered and rejected by Gruber and by Büsch, and was promptly criticized by others. Yet he continues to be given credit for the first scientific explanation of mirages; and his false total-reflection mechanism survives today in some textbooks. Apparently this is due to its superficial simplicity, which appeals to novices.https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/physique/articles/10.5802/crphys.106/Mongemiragesrefractionmeteorological opticsapparent horizonhorizon diphistory of optics |
| spellingShingle | Young, Andrew T. Did Monge really explain inferior mirages? Comptes Rendus. Physique Monge mirages refraction meteorological optics apparent horizon horizon dip history of optics |
| title | Did Monge really explain inferior mirages? |
| title_full | Did Monge really explain inferior mirages? |
| title_fullStr | Did Monge really explain inferior mirages? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Did Monge really explain inferior mirages? |
| title_short | Did Monge really explain inferior mirages? |
| title_sort | did monge really explain inferior mirages |
| topic | Monge mirages refraction meteorological optics apparent horizon horizon dip history of optics |
| url | https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/physique/articles/10.5802/crphys.106/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT youngandrewt didmongereallyexplaininferiormirages |