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Credit & Copyright: Mila Zinkova
Explanation:
Did this mirage help sink the Titanic?
The optical phenomenon called
Fata Morgana can make
strange shapes or a
false
wall of water appear above a watery horizon.
When conditions are right, light reflecting off of cold water will be
bent by an unusual layer of warm air above to arrive at the observer from several
different angles.
A conceptually comparable
mirage can make a
setting Sun appear
strangely distorted or a
distant pavement
appear wet.
One hundred years ago today, such a Fata Morgana mirage
might
have obscured real
icebergs from the clear view of
crew onboard
the
Titanic.
Additional evidence for this
distortion
hypothesis arises from the nearby vessel
SS Californian which reported
sightings consistent with
Fata Morgana mirages.
The above Fata Morgana mirage was taken off the US Pacific coast in 2008.
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A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day