When the rays don't actually meet but we produce it behind the mirror to form a image above the principal axis, it is called a virtual and erect image.

Virtual and Erect Image: Meaning and Explanation

Virtual image:
A virtual image is an image formed by the apparent intersection of the extensions of the rays of light that are coming from an object and are passing through a lens or a mirror. It is a type of image that cannot be projected onto a screen as the rays of light do not actually converge at the location of the image.

Erect image:
An erect image is an image that appears in the same orientation as the object that is being viewed. It is a type of image that is not flipped or inverted and is therefore easily recognizable.

Explanation:
When light rays from an object pass through a lens or a mirror, they can form either a real image or a virtual image. A real image is an image that can be projected onto a screen, and is formed by the actual convergence of the rays of light at the location of the image. A virtual image, on the other hand, is formed by the apparent intersection of the extensions of the rays of light that are coming from an object and are passing through a lens or a mirror.

When light rays from an object pass through a converging lens or a concave mirror, they are refracted or reflected in such a way that they converge at a point in space. This point is called the focal point, and the distance between the focal point and the lens or mirror is called the focal length. If the object is placed at a distance greater than the focal length from the lens or mirror, the image formed will be real, inverted, and smaller than the object. If the object is placed at a distance less than the focal length from the lens or mirror, the image formed will be virtual, upright, and larger than the object.

An erect image is an image that appears in the same orientation as the object that is being viewed. This means that if the object is upright, the image will also be upright. If the object is inverted, the image will be inverted. An erect image is formed when the object is placed at a distance greater than the focal length from a convex lens or a convex mirror.

Conclusion:
In summary, a virtual image is an image formed by the apparent intersection of the extensions of the rays of light that are coming from an object and are passing through a lens or a mirror, while an erect image is an image that appears in the same orientation as the object that is being viewed. Understanding the difference between these two types of images is important in the study of optics and is useful in various applications, such as in the design of optical instruments and in the analysis of images formed by cameras and telescopes.