MIND-BENDING PICTURES SHOW SHIP 'FLOATING IN THE SKY' OFF GREEK COAST
- The Achilleas, a massive freight ship, was seen 'floating' off the coast of Greece
- The image is an example of the Fata Morgana illusion
- Light bending through air with different temperatures causes the illusion
A giant ship was seen floating in the sky off the coast of Greece as a result of a bizarre optical illusion.
The Achilleas, a massive freight ship, was seen 'floating' as it travelled on the shipping line between Greece's mainland at Kimi and Skiros, one of its many islands.
The eerie photo was taken by Greek photographer Nontas Kalogiannis, and is an example of a bizarre optical illusion known as Fata Morgana.
Named after Morgan Le Fey, of Arthurian legend, the complex illusion is the result of light bending as it passes through layers of air with different temperatures.
The bending of light results in images of objects being distorted and changed to both the human eye and cameras.
Often Fata Morgana illusions result in images being inverted, but on rare occasions, if the conditions are right, images can appear to be the right side up, resulting in unsettling apparitions while at sea.
The phenomenon has occurred in a few parts of Greece, such as the western side of Samothrace.
The mirage is thought to be the source of the legend of the Flying Dutchman, according to Jonathan Eyers' 2011 book Don't Shoot the Albatross!: Nautical Myths and Superstitions.
The mirage is not limited to the sea, and can be responsible for many unusual sightings, including mountains that appear to be hovering.
Frata Morgana is the Italian name for Morgan le Fay, the Arthurian sorceress believed to use witchcraft to conjure up fairy castles used to lure sailors to their deaths.
Multiple 'floating ships' have been photographed and videoed over the years, with boats appearing to hover off the coat of Britain in Cornwall, Devon and Aberdeenshire in once incident.
In another sighting, four ships appeared to hover above the sea off the coast of Cyprus, forming a line just east of the southern city of Limassol.
Read more 2024-05-09T13:36:45Z dg43tfdfdgfd
