Originally published on 27 October, 2015
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Footage of an apparition of a cityscape high in the sky above the city of Foshan in China’s Guangdong province went viral online earlier this month, and left residents bewildered. Experts remarked that the phenomenon is a really a complex form of a mirage, also known as Fata Morgana.
Mirages can be generally categorized as “inferior” and “superior”. An inferior mirage occurs when a light ray bends upward, travelling from a cooler layer of air to a warmer layer of air. Human brains are tricked into seeing an image below the actual object.
A superior mirage occurs when light bends downward, as it travels from a warmer layer of iar to a cooler layer of air. The mirage is then formed above the actual object.
Meanwhile, the Fata Morgana is a complex type of a superior mirage. It can be composed of several images, and the actual object can become distorted significantly.
Throughout the 18th to the 20th centuries, the legendary Flying Dutchman was reportedly seen sailing the oceans. According to the myth, the vessel was cursed to sail the waters indefinitely, doomed to never make port. Just like China’s floating city, it was an example of how atmospheric conditions could create mirages in the sky.
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