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When we studied images produced by plane mirrors, the image was always behind the mirror. The light that reaches your eye from the direction of the image did not actually pass through the image (it was reflected from the mirror surface). A person standing behind the mirror could not detect the image, even though a person in front of the mirror can tell that the image is there. Such images are called virtual images. Plane mirrors produce only virtual images. Virtual images can also be produced by converging mirrors, when the object is placed between the focus and the mirror.
The top ray diagram on the preceding page indicates that the image produced by a concave mirror in this situation will be in front of the mirror. Perhaps you did not believe that such images could be produced by mirrors, but your teacher will demonstrate this for you. The light rays that reach your eyes from the direction of the image actually pass through the image. The image can be focused on a screen. This type of image is called a real image.