Hamlet's Kronborg castle and ships as mirages

The Kronborg castle "hovering" in the air, seen from Viken on the Swedish side of the Sound.

A definition of Mirage:
 an optical effect that is sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over a hot pavement, that may have the appearance of a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted, and that is caused by the bending or reflection of rays of light by a layer of heated air of varying density

(Merriam-Webster.com)


Yesterday was a great day for mirage watchers in Øresund. Hamlet's Kronborg castle was nicely "floating" in the air, and strangely distorted  ships were passing by. 

A somewhat closer view of Kronborg. On the left you can see the distorted silhouette of one of the Helsingør - Helsingborg ferries.

Another ferry has just passed in front of an approaching trawler. 

The trawler on the left and two of the ferries.

Another ferry and the trawler "floating" in the air.

The trawler (Russian?) approaching Kronborg.

In front of Kronborg castle. A ferry on the left of the castle.

Another Kronborg picture.

Minutes later the trawler continues northwards along the Danish coastline.

The strange looking "blob" in the middle is probably a small naval vessel or a tug, on its way southwards in Øresund. 

PS
If you are interested in learning more about maritime mirages here is an interesting and informative page. 

"Miragulous" circumstances in Øresund

At one point this afternoon the sky over Øresund looked menacing:

However, we did not get the expected rain - or snow - as some friendlier skies began popping up:

The mirage effect was clearly visible, when the small Dutch tanker Bro Grace passed Helsingør on its way to Kalundborg:

The small fishing boats on the left of the Bro Grace appear to be floating in the air.

On the right side you can see the passenger ferry Pernille "floating".

Mirage:The Queen Mary 2 floating in the air

Early on this glorious August morning Cunard´s mighty ocean liner Queen Mary 2 arrived at Helsingør. Due to the atmospheric conditions creating a mirage effect, the ship appeared almost to float in the air as it approached its destination: 

The QM2 approaching Helsingør 

Here the strangely distorted QM2 is already preparing to lay anchor. The island  Ven (Hven in Danish) on the left appears to be floating in the air.

Below two other images of the QM2 with a somewhat "new look". The magnified waves in the second picture are quite interesting : 

The Finnish photographer Pekka Parviainen has specialized in photographing mirages in Nordic waters. This is how he explains the phenomenon: 

The word mirage can be more accurately defined by explaining that atmospheric conditions can cause deviation of the normally straight movement of light rays, creating a situation where an object is perceived as displaced or distorted. Mirages are usually seen at the horizon and with a very small angular diameter, yet they may take a number of shapes. The shrubs and rocks on a small island may tower into the sky; low, sloping shores may be vertically stretched so they look like precipices; a ship and its deck superstructures may distort into unidentifiable boxy shapes; entire islands seem to float in the air with inverted mirages below them; a number of mirages of the same island appear, now right way up, now upside down, above the island; a ship is seen to travel along the distant horizon upside down; the setting sun looks square, splits up into slices and gives off a final, bright green flash before going down. 

Read the entire article here

PS
On the photo below you can see the QM2 in front of Hamlet´s castle Kronborg. The mirage effect almost disappeared when the ship appears only in the more remote background:

The QM2, a Buster boat and Kronborg castle

The mirage effect is not very visible on this picture either: