Editing Mirage (section)

===Fata Morgana===
{{main|Fata Morgana (mirage)}}
A ''Fata Morgana'' (the name comes from the Italian translation of [[Morgan le Fay]], the fairy, shapeshifting half-sister of King Arthur) is a very complex superior mirage. It appears with alternations of compressed and stretched areas, erect images, and inverted images.<ref name="An Introduction to Mirages"/> A Fata Morgana is also a fast-changing mirage.

Fata Morgana mirages are most common in [[polar region]]s, especially over large sheets of ice with a uniform low temperature, but they can be observed almost anywhere. In polar regions, a Fata Morgana may be observed on cold days; in desert areas and over oceans and lakes, a Fata Morgana may be observed on hot days. For a Fata Morgana, [[temperature inversion]] has to be strong enough that light rays' curvatures within the inversion are stronger than the curvature of [[Earth]].<ref name="An Introduction to Mirages">Young, Andy, [https://aty.sdsu.edu/mirages/mirintro.html An Introduction to Mirages].</ref>

The rays will bend and form [[Arc (geometry)|arcs]]. An observer needs to be within an [[atmospheric duct]] to be able to see a Fata Morgana.<ref name="Atmospheric Optics Glossary">Young, Andy, [http://mintaka.sdsu.edu/GF/glossary.html#duct SDSU.edu], "Atmospheric Optics Glossary".</ref>
Fata Morgana mirages may be observed from any [[altitude]] within [[Atmosphere of Earth|Earth's atmosphere]], including from mountaintops or airplanes.<ref name=" `SUPERIOR MIRAGE of cumulus cloudtop from airplane">{{cite book | title=Met. Mag. 85| last= Durst and Bull | year=1956| pages=237–242}}</ref><ref name="Annotated bibliography of mirages, green flashes, atmospheric refraction, etc.">{{cite book | title=Annotated bibliography of mirages, green flashes, atmospheric refraction, etc.| last= Young| first=Andrew| url=http://mintaka.sdsu.edu/GF/bibliog/bibliog.html}}</ref>

Distortions of image and bending of light can produce spectacular effects. In his book ''Pursuit: The Chase and Sinking of the "Bismarck"'', Ludovic Kennedy describes an incident that allegedly took place below the Denmark Strait during 1941, following the sinking of the ''Hood''. The ''[[German battleship Bismarck|Bismarck]]'', while pursued by the British cruisers ''Norfolk'' and ''Suffolk'', passed out of sight into a sea mist. Within a matter of seconds, the ship re-appeared, steaming toward the British ships at high speed. In alarm, the cruisers separated, anticipating an imminent attack, and observers from both ships watched in astonishment as the German battleship fluttered, grew indistinct, and faded away. Radar watch during these events indicated that the ''Bismarck'' had, in fact, made no change to her course.
{{Multiple image
 | direction     = horizontal
 | total_width   = 500
 | align         = centre
 | caption_align = center
 | image1        = Farallons islands miragep.jpg
 | caption1      = Sequence of a Fata Morgana of the [[Farallon Islands]] as seen from [[San Francisco]]
 | image2        = Farallons islands miragep animated.gif
 | caption2      = The same sequence as an animation
}}