Concave mirrors always form real image except when the object is between pole and focus..also why do we always get an enlarged image in concave mirror
[Physics] Why does a spoon form a virtual image though it is a concave mirror
everyday-lifeopticsreflection
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Saying that something is at infinity is a convenient way of saying that the distance involved is much, much greater than the focal length.
So when the object is placed in the focal plane of the lens/mirror it is convenient to say that the image is formed at infinity.
In fact, in theory, the image is actually in two places.
On a screen as a real inverted image a long way away from the lens and on the opposite side of the lens to the object.
A virtual upright image a long way away from the lens which can be seen by looking through the lens at the object.
How can one infer all this?
By having the object close to the focal plane but remote from the lens and observing the image formed on a screen as being real, inverted and magnified.
Then moving the object closer and closer to the focal plane, seeing what happens and then imagining what would happen if the object was in the focal plane.
In the end all of this is theoretical because real lenses have defects and your analysis has dealt with ideal situations.
Any discussion of concave/convex mirrors needs to begin with a statement of the particular version of the mirror equation to be used, along with the convention for setting and interpreting the signs of focal lengths, and object/image positions.
For example, from http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/MirrorFormula.html:
Unmentioned in this is the convention that virtual images and objects are found behind the mirror and have negative values of $d$.
In the particular example you present, the image formed by the primary mirror is a real image. If you put infinity for the object distance and a positive focal length, you find a positive image distance.
But when you insert a convex mirror, with a negative focal length, into the optical path, you must also consider the position of the real image (now an object) relative to the convex mirror. The object is behind the convex mirror; it is a virtual object, and its distance from the convex mirror is negative.
With appropriate positioning of the convex mirror, the formula will produce a positive value for the image distance. There will be real image formed in front of the convex mirror.
You've just designed a Cassegrain telescope...
Best Answer
Note the focal length of the spoon will be only a few centimetres if that.
If you can get close enough so that your face is closer than the focal length of the spoon then you would see a magnified and upright image which is virtual.
This is the arrangement used for a shaving or make up mirror but they have larger focal lengths.
However you are more likely to be seeing a diminished and inverted image which is real and located between your face and the spoon.
Your face will be greater than two focal length from the spoon.
The real image appears to be in the vicinity of the spoon but you can located by using the no-parallax method as described here for a concave mirror and for a convex lens here which can be adapted for the spoon.
Such attempts at the location of the real image will be more difficult because of the aberrations caused by the non-spherical shape of the spoon.
I have used the images from this website.