looming

Looming is an optical phenomenon where an object appears indistinct or exaggerated on the horizon, often seen through fog or darkness. It is a type of mirage, which is a deceptive appearance caused by the bending of light rays through layers of air with varying densities. This bending, or refraction, can make distant objects appear lifted into the sky, as if reflected in water, or create the illusion of a watery surface when the sky is reflected. This phenomenon is distinct from an optical illusion, which is a general term for an image that tricks vision.1234