Why this cruise liner looks like it’s floating mid-air
In a scene that wouldn’t seem out of place in an old tale of the sea, a picture of a cruise liner that appears to be floating mid-air has become an internet sensation.
The image, which has attracted over 44,000 views since posted online only a few days ago, illustrates arare optical illusion known as Fata Morgana or “superior mirage”.
In Fata Morgana, idea climactic conditions see light travel over vast distances and even cross horizons. It only ever occurs when the air is colder on the ground than above, which can cause light to be bent across the atmosphere. In this way, projections of images from hundreds of kilometres are made can appear on the horizon.
Image credit: Imgur
This illusion is thought to have created the myth of the Flying Dutchman, a ghost ship that was sighted multiple times in the throughout the 19th and 20th century.
Perhaps this cruise liner is a sign Davy Jones has upgraded his ride?