A mirage of a series of floating islands appeared Dec. 27 off the coast of Ishinomki, Miyagi Prefecture, an area hard hit by the March 11 earthquake.
A mirage of a series of floating islands appeared Dec. 27 off the coast of Ishinomki, Miyagi Prefecture, an area hard hit by the March 11 earthquake.
The phenomenon is caused by the refraction of light in an area where cold air comes in contact with warm seawater.
Locals said they have seen similar mirages before when the weather is clear and quite cold combined with minimal wave action.
According to the Sendai District Meteorological Observatory, Ishinomaki recorded a low of minus 2 degrees Dec. 27, a temperature level usually logged in early January, and a high of 3.4 degrees, below the average maximum temperature in early February, the coldest period of the year.