What is Fata Morgana?
A Fata Morgana is a complex form of superior mirage that is seen in a narrow band right above the horizon. A Fata Morgana may be seen on land or at sea, in polar regions, or in deserts. It may involve almost any kind of distant object, including boats, islands, and the coastline.
Who discovered Fata Morgana?
Benjamin Morrell reported that, in March 1823, while on a voyage to the Antarctic and southern Pacific Ocean, he had explored what he thought was the east coast of New South Greenland. The west coast of New South Greenland had been explored two years earlier by Robert Johnson, who had given the land its name.
Is superior mirage real?
A superior mirage is one in which the mirage image appears to be located above the real object. A superior mirage occurs when the air below the line of sight is colder than the air above it. Superior mirages are quite common in polar regions, especially over large sheets of ice that have a uniform low temperature.
What is the causes of the mirage of the floating ships?
During a Fata Morgana sighting, rays of light passing through the warm and cool air masses are bent strangely and that is what makes the mirage appear. Usually, the image is based on a real object, such as a far-off ship, just distorted to appear surreal.
Where does the term Fata Morgana come from?
Fata Morgana (mirage) A Fata Morgana ( Italian: [ˈfaːta morˈɡaːna]) is an unusual and complex form of superior mirage that is seen in a narrow band right above the horizon. It is an Italian term named after the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, from a belief that these mirages, often seen in the Strait of Messina,…
Is the Fata Morgana still a Mirage after sunset?
A mirage was still present at that point, but it was not so complex as a few hours before sunset: the mirage was no longer a Fata Morgana, but instead had become a simple superior mirage.
How does the optical phenomenon Fata Morgana occur?
Fata Morgana (mirage) The optical phenomenon occurs because rays of light are bent when they pass through air layers of different temperatures in a steep thermal inversion where an atmospheric duct has formed. (A thermal inversion is an atmospheric condition where warmer air exists in a well-defined layer above a layer of significantly cooler air.
What makes the ice appear flat in Fata Morgana?
As is well known, atmospheric ducting is the explanation for certain optical mirages, and in particular the arctic illusion called “fata morgana” where distant ocean or surface ice, which is essentially flat, appears to the viewer in the form of vertical columns and spires, or “castles in the air.”.