A STUNNING optical illusion has left viewers stunned after it appeared to show a massive ship floating in midair off the British coast.
The bizarre image shows a large cargo ship near the small Cornish village of Coverack, appearing to float high above the horizon.
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The bizarre image shows a large cargo near the small Cornish village of CoverackCredit: Apex
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The ship appears to be floating high above the horizonCredit: Apex
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For Fata Morgana to appear, the weather conditions must be just right
The stunning image was captured by photographer Martin Stroud as he walked across the field.
Posting to ‘Coverack Life’ on Facebook, he said: “Almost looks like you’re flying! Beautiful day to visit Coverack.”
Despite its creepy appearance, the effect actually has a simple explanation.
Known as Fata Morgana, the phenomenon occurs when the color of the sea perfectly matches the sky above it.
The ship then appears to float through a process of refraction, the bending of light, where cold air is near the sea and warmer air is above it.
The illusion then becomes more realistic because the horizon line lies along the top of the turbulent water.
The term means “Morgan fairy” in Italian and comes from the Arthurian legend of the sorceress Martha La Fay.
It is believed that he summoned fairy tale castles or fake islands with mirages to lure sailors to their deaths.
Fata Morgana is believed to be the cause of a number of strange sightings, including the famous Flying Dutchman.
Though sadly not actually some kind of futuristic ship/plane hybrid, the image has wowed people in a local Facebook group, describing it as an “amazing photo.”
Andi Wootten-Williams chimed in: “I’m freaking out.”
While Stella Lumyou commented, “It looks like a ship in the sky.”
Such a phenomenon has already been seen in Cornwall, with different explanations.
Last year, David Morris took a similar photo at Gillan Cove.
He was “extremely confused” when he saw a large vessel apparently floating just above the waves.
A few days earlier, several cruisers were also seen ‘floating’ above the waters off the coast of Paignton, Devon.
At the time, BBC meteorologist David Braine described it as an “upper mirage”, which was common in the Arctic but occurred “very rarely” in the UK.
A superior mirage is one in which the image appears to be above the actual object, caused when the air below the field of view is cooler and therefore more dense than the air above it.
This is the opposite of what normally happens during the day.
This results in light rays being bent downward as they pass through what is known as a ‘temperature inversion’.
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Credit: Facebook
In 2017, Rosie Patterson in Porthleven filmed what appeared to be a ‘flying’ container ship along the shoreline of the port.
At the time, this was explained as a rare state of weather conditions in which the sea in the foreground of the image is rippled, while further out at sea, the water is as flat as a mirror.
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In the Fata Morgana mirage, objects can appear much closer than they actually are.
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Fata Morgana is believed to be the cause of a number of strange sightings, including the famous Flying DutchmanCredit: Alamy
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education