page_title: Infinity mirror
section_title: Explanation of effect
hierarchical_section_title: Infinity mirror / Explanation of effect
caption_attribution_description: Statue of Venus (Aphrodite) in mirrors. Venus (mythology), the Roman goddess of love, in Greek mythology known as Aphrodite. Large, with aspect ratio of 4:3
context_page_description: An infinity mirror is a configuration of two or more parallel or nearly parallel mirrors, creating a series of smaller and smaller reflections that appear to recede to infinity. Often the front mirror of an infinity mirror is half-silvered, but this is not required to produce the effect. A similar appearance in artworks has been called the Droste effect. Infinity mirrors are sometimes used as room accents or in works of art.
context_section_description: The 3D illusion  mirror effect is produced whenever there are two parallel reflective surfaces which can bounce a beam of light back and forth an indefinite (theoretically infinite) number of times. The reflections appear to recede into the distance because the light actually is traversing the distance it appears to be travelling.  
  For example, in a two-centimeter-thick infinity mirror, with the light sources halfway between, light from the source initially travels one centimeter.  The first reflection travels one centimeter to the rear mirror and then two centimeters to, and through the front mirror, a total of three centimeters.  The second reflection travels two centimeters from front mirror to back mirror, and again two centimeters from the back mirror to, and through the front mirror, totaling four centimeters, plus the first reflection (three centimeters) making the second reflection seven centimeters away from the front mirror.  Each successive reflection adds four more centimeters to the total (the third reflection appears 11 centimeters deep, fourth 15 centimeters deep, and so on).
  Each additional reflection adds length to the path the light must travel before exiting the mirror and reaching the viewer. Each reflection and the additional distance traveled by the light reduces the brightness of the image, which also fades into the distance.
  When studied using the principles of geometrical optics, the series of repeating images forms the infinite mathematical surface known as Gabriel's Horn, or Torricelli's Trumpet, named in honor of Italian mathematician Evangelista Torricelli, who first studied it. In theory, such a surface is infinite in area, but encloses a finite volume.
caption: Computer simulation image of repeatedly reflected shapes - note that alternating reflections are reversed - this is typical of the effect
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