What could be causing the mysterious lights and reflections in my room at night?

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In summary, the speaker is sitting in their rocking chair at night and notices a light in the darkened bathroom mirror that appears to be coming from their neighbor's bathroom on the second floor. Upon further investigation, they realize that the light is actually a reflection of their bedroom door and mirror, which is reflecting a light from outside. They are intrigued by the multiple reflections and the fact that they have never lived in such close proximity to another house before. They also question the occurrence of a mirage without any temperature inversions and wonder if similar conditions can exist naturally. They mention a theory about Mexican UFOs being reflections of fires on oil rigs or satellites and discuss the science behind mirages and how they can be seen on radar as well.
  • #1
mouseonmoon
sitting in my rocking chair writng, late night,leaned back and a light in the darkened bathroom mirror suddenly appeared which is in another room-my door is usually closed.
Curious, i find that the light is coming from neighbors 2nd floor bathroom--but really curious
is the reflection of my bedroom door and mirror (which is reflectiing a light standing before my window) that looks out in same direction as bathroom window---OK, i realize this is complicated- but multible reflections are 'happening'---and these are seen through my bt-window as if suspended
in mid-air between the houses--very interesting (have never lived in situation this close to another house).

approaching this 'apparition' from the bd- door i can see nothing-unless i approach at an unusual angle--i can see it as thin as a sheet of paper or move slowly to the right and see the 'complete vision' of the door.

I know that glass doors etc. will give a similar 'illusion' of the 'inside' reflected into the night.This was unusual because the room was dark and i see something unexpected--normally wouldn't take notice of the 'ordinary window reflections/projections'.

Two questions-no temperature inversions, and yet 'cleary' a 'mirage' is visible--what's going on?

Why is there an image seemlngly projected into the night space--what I'm saying is that the 'image' is not simply 'a reflection on the surface of the glass',,,,it looks like there's a door and the inside of my room suspended in space. What's happening here?

2. Could 'similiar' 'conditions' somehow exist naturally? Suppose a lake or other body of water
or reflective surface; or/and possibly a very thin layer of misty water as a fog -whether near the ground or in the air; or even way up in the sky and 'frozen';

and, possibly lights could be reflected 'back and forth' among these 'reflective' 'surfaces' and produce the illusion of lights 'flying' and suddenly vanishing! All depends on the angle one observes
the 'reflections'--which may change as the observer changes postion or as the world turns or as the light source changes or the conditions change (wind blows the fog or cloud away--or 'heavy cloud' passes by and blocks the view.

Well, all very strange--i mean, i see this door out there into another dimension!

But what actually comes to mind is that an interesting 'theory' was offered concerning the recent Mexican UFOs--that they might be the 'reflections of fires burning on the oil rigs' in the gulf or reflections from satellites... what 'conditions' would be necessary to produce illusionary lights...
 
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  • #2
The stuff of magic eh; illusions? I think in the end it all comes down to the apparent size of an object.

Maccabee goes into to all of this in his analysis of this and other events. Basically, any boundary layer such as an abrupt temperature change can produce mirror-like reflections that we see as mirages. The angles involved are critical. Generally the angles of incidence and reflection of the source on the reflective surface - the boundary layer eg the hot surface of a road - are near glancing angles. Any particular situation has to be analyzed based on the exact positions of all sources and observers, and the particular conditions that made the mirage possible. RADAR mirages are "seen" as well. Often this involves a distant, large, land based object; as I understand things.
 
  • #3



There could be several factors contributing to the mysterious lights and reflections in your room at night. One possibility is that there are multiple reflective surfaces in your room, such as mirrors or glass doors, that are causing the light to bounce around and create the illusion of suspended images. This is especially likely if the room is dark and there is a strong light source outside, such as the neighbor's bathroom light.

Another possibility is that there are natural reflective surfaces outside, such as a lake or body of water, that are reflecting the light from the neighbor's bathroom and creating the illusion of lights flying and suddenly vanishing. Depending on the angle of observation and other environmental conditions, these reflections could appear to be coming from different sources and give the appearance of multiple lights.

It's also possible that there are temperature inversions or other atmospheric conditions that are causing light to refract and create unusual illusions. For example, if there is a thin layer of mist or fog in the air, it could act as a reflective surface and create the appearance of lights suspended in mid-air.

As for the theory about the Mexican UFOs being reflections from oil rigs or satellites, it's certainly possible that similar conditions could produce illusionary lights in the sky. However, without further evidence, it's difficult to say for sure what is causing the mysterious lights in your room at night. It's always a good idea to approach these situations with a curious and open mind, and to consider all possible explanations before jumping to conclusions.
 

1. What causes unusual light reflections?

Unusual light reflections can be caused by a variety of factors, including the material and texture of the surface the light is reflecting off of, the angle at which the light hits the surface, and any obstructions or imperfections in the surface.

2. Are unusual light reflections harmful?

In most cases, unusual light reflections are not harmful. However, in certain situations, such as when driving, they can cause temporary blindness or distraction, which can be dangerous.

3. Can unusual light reflections be controlled or prevented?

Yes, there are various methods that can be used to control or prevent unusual light reflections, such as using anti-reflective coatings on surfaces, adjusting the angle of light sources, or using polarized lenses.

4. Do unusual light reflections have any scientific significance?

Yes, unusual light reflections can provide valuable information about the properties of materials and surfaces. They are also important in fields such as optics and photography.

5. Can unusual light reflections be a sign of a larger issue?

In some cases, unusual light reflections can be a symptom of a larger issue, such as a structural problem or damage to a surface. It is important to investigate the cause of the reflections to determine if any corrective action is needed.

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