A complex and often dramatic superior mirage in which distant objects, ships, coastlines or ice formations are stacked, stretched and distorted into shapes resembling fantastical towers, cliffs or castles hovering above the horizon. It forms when light passes through several layers of air with sharply differing temperatures, bending in a way that can flip and stack multiple images of the same object. The name comes from the Italian for Morgan le Fay, after sightings in the Strait of Messina were historically attributed to her magic.
Facts
PeriodicityMore common in fall and winter, though also seen in summer and sometimes spring 1 First DescribedThe name was first used for these mirages in 1617, by Marc'Antonio Politi in his Cronica della Nobil' e fedelissima Citta di Reggio 1 Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceCharacterized by multiple, rapidly changing images with vertical and horizontal features that suggest architectural structures 1 Sources
1. Fata Morgana, Andrew T. Young, San Diego State University
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It is commoner in fall and winter than in the remaining seasons, although one often sees it in summer and sometimes in spring.
Page body, paragraph on the naming history
The first mention of the name Fata Morgana for these mirages was made by Marc'Antonio Politi in his Cronica della Nobil' e fedelissima Citta di Reggio (Messina, 1617)
Page body, description paragraph
characterized by multiple and rapidly changing images, with vertical and horizontal features that suggest architectural structures
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