The optical phenomenon occurs because rays of light bend when they pass through air layers of different temperatures in a steep thermal inversion where an atmospheric duct has formed. Fata Morgana mirages also show alternating compressed and stretched zones. The mirage comprises several inverted (upside down) and erect (right-side up) images that are stacked on top of one another. It may involve almost any kind of distant object, including boats, islands, and the coastline. A Fata Morgana may be seen on land or at sea, in polar regions, or in deserts. These mirages are often seen in the Italian Strait of Messina, and were described as fairy castles in the air or false land conjured by her magic.įata Morgana mirages significantly distort the object or objects on which they are based, often such that the object is completely unrecognizable. The term Fata Morgana is the Italian translation of "Morgan the Fairy" ( Morgan le Fay of Arthurian legend). A Fata Morgana changing the shape of a distant boatĪ Fata Morgana ( Italian: ) is a complex form of superior mirage visible in a narrow band right above the horizon.
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