An amazing view, observed in Greece, is a result of an optical trick known as ‘Fata Morgana'.
A ship has been sighted in Greece, seemingly floating above the ocean.
The cargo vessel, named The Achilleas, was seen ‘floating' over the ocean while it sailed from Kymi to Skyros.
The amazing view is a result of an optical trick known as ‘Fata Morgana', which can play tricks on our eyes.
Kalogiannis Epam, the photographer, took a picture of the moment, which was also seen in different parts of Greece.
Spinning lady optical illusion
In calm weather, a phenomenon happens where a layer of warmer air sits above colder dense air, causing the image to become distorted.
Mirages can also appear in places other than the ocean, such as mountains that seem to be suspended in the air.
SkyBrary states that the name ‘Fata Morgana' comes from the Arthurian sorceress, Morgan le Fay.
A Fata Morgana is a type of mirage that appears above the horizon in a narrow band.
The term is Italian and it is named after Morgan le Fay, a sorceress from Arthurian legends. People believed that these mirages, which were frequently observed in the Strait of Messina, were actually fairy castles in the sky or fake land created by Morgan's magic to tempt sailors into their demise.
The illusion has been seen a few times in the past.
The photo was taken in Greece (Kalogiannis Epam)
Monika Shaffner, a beachgoer, was walking on the sands at Mount Maunganui in New Zealand a couple of years ago. While gazing at the surf, she spotted a boat appearing to float in the distance.
Monika shared a video on social media showing an optical illusion that made a ship appear to be floating in the air.
In 2021, a photo captured in Falmouth, Cornwall seemed to depict a ship floating above the water.
Monika Shaffner saw a ‘floating' boat in the distance. (FB/Monika Schaffner/ViralHog)
David Braine, a meteorologist from BBC, has previously detailed the scientific reasoning behind it.
Superior mirages happen due to a weather phenomenon called temperature inversion. In this case, cold air is near the sea while warmer air is above it.
Cold air is denser than warm air, so it makes light bend towards the eyes of a person standing on the ground or on the coast. This causes a change in the appearance of a faraway object.
Superior mirages can create various kinds of images. For instance, a faraway ship may seem to be floating above its real location, while occasionally an object below the horizon can become visible.
