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The magic of the Fata Morgana has returned to Gavà beach, in Baix Llobregat, as seen in this photograph in La Vanguardia's Readers' Photos. The brutal optical effect makes it really look like we are seeing a flying ship.
The optical effect created by the mirage has been spectacular, seeing with the eye the ship that stops not touching the water of the sea. The beauty of meteorology.
The Fata Morgana effect is named after the Italian fata Morgana (i.e. fairy Morgana), in reference to King Arthur's half-sister (Morgan le Fay) who, according to legend, was a changeling fairy.
It is a mirage or optical illusion that is due to a temperature inversion. Objects on the horizon, such as islands, cliffs, ships or ice floes, take on a long, elevated appearance, similar to "fairy-tale castles." Or, as in this case of the boat, they appear to "fly."
On the coast of Barcelona it is increasingly common to see this phenomenon due to the favorable weather conditions and also due to the large ship traffic in the port of the Catalan capital.
