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- Ship of photographed floating in the air due to local weather conditions,
etotheipi said:
I think it's coincidence. The ship happens to be at the right spot.DrStupid said:That's what I mean. What stops the effect at the waterline of the ship?
russ_watters said:I think it's coincidence.
I presume what we're seeing below the ship is a reflected image of the sky higher up - note that the sky below the ship is lighter than that immediately above it, similar to the higher sky. Perhaps the camera is above one thermal boundary?DrStupid said:That's not what I mean. Why does it stop at all?
That is not a 3D object in the sky, it is a projection. Light from the projection is directional.DrStupid said:That's not what I mean. Why does it stop at all?
Ibix said:A layer of warm air (grey) lies just above the sea, extending part way to the ship. Having a slightly lower refractive index than the air above it, there's a potential for an observer above the layer, such as one on land (green), to see a total internal reflection of the sky in a narrow range of angles (delimited by the black rays)
Ibix said:, with sea at lower angles (slightly refracted as per the grey ray) and the undistorted ship/sky above it.
I guess. So either that's not the explanation (although it appears to fit the observations) or the Grauniad has something wrong.DrStupid said:That might be possibe. But would't that be inferior mirage?
It looked right refracted through my wine glass. Now corrected, thanks.DrStupid said:The refraction in your image doesn't seem to be correct.
A Fata Morgana (Italian: [ˈfaːta morˈɡaːna]) is a complex form of superior mirage that is seen in a narrow band right above the horizon. It is an Italian term named after the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, from a belief that these mirages, often seen in the Strait of Messina, were fairy castles in the air or false land created by her witchcraft to lure sailors to their deaths.
Fata Morgana mirages significantly distort the object or objects on which they are based, often such that the object is completely unrecognizable.
anorlunda said:Thanks @nsaspook . You expanded my vocabulary. People do use fata morgana for cases like that ship. But definition I looked up for Fata Morgana saysThat high distortion seems to best fit this image (which is not a waterfall, not a cliff)
View attachment 279245
The phenomenon, known as Fata Morgana, creates a mirage when the sun heats up the atmosphere above the land or oceans, which creates a gradient of temperatures
nsaspook said:Sailors have called them that for ages. Sometimes the images are distorted but other times they are not. I've never heard that high distortion was a requirement for Fata Morgana mirage.
View attachment 279246
View attachment 279247https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9329233/Plane-sailing-Cruise-ships-appear-floating-air.html
It also allows subs to hide from surface sonar, below a temperature jump.anorlunda said:Submariners are aware of analogous sonar effects. Gradients in ocean temperature and salinity can cause sounds to travel along curved paths, and to allow them to travel much further than they normally would.
Maybe it's not a superior mirage of the ship, but an inferior mirage of the sky:DrStupid said:The image is quite impressive but the explanation in the link seems to be incomplete. Where does the gap between ship and water come from?
DrStupid said:What stops the effect at the waterline of the ship?
My suggestion about this is that colour and luminance of the illuminated sea surface in that particular picture is very similar to the illuminance and colour of the sky. It's not only the ship image that is observed but the image of a wide band of distant sea surface, over the horizon. Both ship and distant sea are imaged above the real horizonDrStupid said:That's not what I mean. Why does it stop at all?
Well, if that's the case, then we don't need any mirage of the ship to explain the picture. It's simply sea of the same color as the sky, that we see under the ship.sophiecentaur said:My suggestion about this is that colour and luminance of the illuminated sea surface in that particular picture is very similar to the illuminance and colour of the sky.
The 'sudden change' will be because the direct view of the sea below the real horizon is unadulterated by that optical effect. Also, the examples in post #19 give an image inversion (a reflection phenomenon). The image in the OP shows a non-inverted ship so reflection doesn't explain it. The effect must involve refraction. So you would need to explain how your (often applicable) mirage explanation fits the facts here.A.T. said:Now you just have to explain why the color of the sea suddenly changes from dark to sky color. And to me this looks like what is shown in post #19.
What are you talking about? The primary clear images of the truck and the island in post #19 are not inverted, because they are seen directly. It's only the sky beneath them that is a "reflection", and on it there might be a faint "reflection" of the object itself.sophiecentaur said:Also, the examples in post #19 give an image inversion
I'm talking about the case where there is no reflection (I can't see one in the OP) For your scenario, if the sky forms a virtual image below the ship then why is there no inverted image there ? The waterlines are all straight (all example images) but the truck roof is very evident.A.T. said:What are you talking about?
I'm also tending towards that. It definitely doesn't look like a superior mirage from beyond the real horizon. Here a quite extensive analysis of the picture and the possible effects:nsaspook said:The more I look at this picture the more it seems to be just a false horizon instead of a real Fata Morgana mirage.
The "looming' he refers to would 'raise' the horizon, as well as the ship. When I next have a theodolite with me, I must try to see if this actually happens to a significant degree.sophiecentaur said:That guy put enough work into it
sophiecentaur said:The "looming' he refers to would 'raise' the horizon, as well as the ship. When I next have a theodolite with me, I must try to see if this actually happens to a significant degree.
I am also relieved that my observations and comments about the unnaturally clear images of ships seem to be justified. Images of ships which are tens of km away are seldom as sharp and coloured and, to be below the real horizon, that's the sort of distance involved.
That's the sort of thing I'd expect if the image is formed by irregular atmosphere. The images - particularly the original one, are very clear (even several ships in a row, later on) and they all have to look of 'the original' and nothing mucked about with by the air. An almost direct view from not very far away.nsaspook said:Fairly clear images did happen during the changing sequences but major distortions happened too.
hutchphd said:I think it is still puzzling why there was insufficient warning from the watch.
hutchphd said:Isn't this the same effect that some folks think sunk HMS Titanic?
The Illusion of Anti-Gravity, also known as a Superior Mirage, is a phenomenon in which an object appears to be floating or suspended in the air, defying the laws of gravity. It is an optical illusion caused by the refraction of light in the Earth's atmosphere.
The Earth's atmosphere is made up of layers of air with different densities. When light travels through these layers, it bends or refracts, causing objects to appear distorted or displaced. This refraction can create the illusion that an object is floating or suspended in the air, when in reality it is just an optical illusion.
The Illusion of Anti-Gravity is most commonly observed in areas with drastic temperature differences between the air near the ground and the air higher up in the atmosphere. This can occur in deserts, over bodies of water, or in polar regions.
Yes, the Illusion of Anti-Gravity can be captured on camera. In fact, many photos and videos of this phenomenon have been shared online. However, it is important to note that the camera lens can also distort the image, so it may not accurately represent what the human eye sees.
No, the Illusion of Anti-Gravity is not dangerous. It is simply an optical illusion and does not pose any physical threat. However, it is important to be aware of this phenomenon when navigating in areas where it may occur, such as over bodies of water, to avoid any potential confusion or disorientation.