An image of a boat floating in the sky near a north-east town has left some Facebook users baffled.
The picture of the red vessel was taken by Colin McCallum in Banff on Friday afternoon.
Sharing the image on Facebook, the 23-year-old from Turriff, said he “saw a real-life optical illusion”.
One comment on the post, which has since been shared more than 1,400 times, blamed it on a glitch in the Matrix.
Other users were left confused, with one saying “I genuinely can’t understand what’s going on here.
The rare optical illusion is caused by differences in air temperatures and the temperature of the water.
The difference causes light to be bent, or refracted, as it passes through different densities of air.
This bending of the light then leads to the impression the boat is floating above the horizon.
Known as Fata Morgana, it is a form of mirage, and the phenomena have been witnessed across the world.
In some cases, it can also lead vessels seemingly below the waves.
It’s not the first time a boat seemingly floating in the sky has caused confusion in the north-east.
In 2014, live tv footage of the Scottish Open Golf tournament showed a large vessel seemingly hovering over players.
Flying boat off the coast of Aberdeen during @SkySports' coverage of the Scottish Open… pic.twitter.com/VniGy2I7w0
— Kevin O'Sullivan (@TVKev) July 13, 2014
Drama at the Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen as a low flying ship passes overhead. #AAMScottishOpen @EuropeanTour pic.twitter.com/TTwttfhiID
— Dave Galloway (@davegalloway83) July 14, 2014