Class-8, Ray diagram

Reflections in a spherical convex mirror. The photographer is seen reflected at top right

A curved mirror is a mirror with a curved reflecting surface. The surface may be either convex (bulging outwards) or concave (bulging inwards). Most curved mirrors have surfaces that are shaped like part of a sphere, but other shapes are sometimes used in optical devices. The most common non-spherical type are parabolic reflectors, found in optical devices such as reflecting telescopes that need to image distant objects, since spherical mirror systems, like spherical lenses, suffer from spherical aberration. Distorting mirrors are used for entertainment. They have convex and concave regions that produce deliberately distorted images.