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A Fata Morgana (Italian: [ˈfaːta morˈɡaːna]) is a complex form of superior mirage visible in a narrow band right above the horizon. The term Fata Morgana is the Italian translation of "Morgan the Fairy" (Morgan le Fay of Arthurian legend).
Fata Morgana, mirage that appeared periodically in the Strait of Messina between Italy and Sicily, named in Italian after the legendary enchantress of Arthurian romance, Morgan le Fay.
Fata Morgana is the Italian name for Morgan le Fay (meaning "Morgan the Fairy"), a sorceress of medieval legends. This sister of the legendary King Arthur is sometimes portrayed as the ruler of the island paradise Avalon and is said to have had a number of magical powers, with which she caused a great deal of trouble.
May 6, 2020 · A fata morgana is a layer cake of both kinds of optical phenomena. Alternating bands of hot and cold air create several different bands where superior and inferior mirages meet.
Jan 29, 2024 · Fata Morgana is an optical phenomenon that occurs due to the bending of light in the Earth's atmosphere. The atmospheric mirage is characterized by the distortion and elevation of distant objects, such as ships, creating the illusion that they are floating in the air.
Aug 17, 2021 · A fata morgana is created when cold, dense air near the Earth’s surface is trapped beneath a layer of significantly warmer air aloft, known as a temperature inversion. This causes light rays from distant objects to refract, or bend, downward toward an observer standing on the ground.
Dec 29, 2021 · The name Fata Morgana is Italian and means “Morgan the Fairy.” In legend, Morgan was the sorceress sister of King Arthur and was known for her ability to conjure up towering castles in the air. Settling Normans brought the King Arthur story to Italy.
Fata Morgana. A mirage often seen in the Strait of Messina, Sicily, once attributed to the fairies. It took its name from the Italian form of Morgan le Fay, sister of King Arthur in Arthurian legend.
Morgan le Fay, or Fata Morgana in Italian, has been in particular associated with Sicily as a location of her enchanted realm in the mythological landscape of medieval Europe (at least since the Norman conquest of southern Italy), and local folklore describes her as living in a magical castle located at or floating over Mount Etna.
Oct 26, 2023 · Real oceanic mirages — "fata morgana," as they're called, named after the treacherous enchantress from Arthurian legend, Morgan le Fay — really are kind of like nature's version of optical sabotage.
