A Fata Morgana is a complex optical illusion or superior mirage where distant objects appear distorted, elongated, and elevated, often resembling castles in the sky or other fantastic structures. This happens due to light being bent by a thermal inversion, which is a temperature gradient in the atmosphere where warm air is trapped above cold air. The name comes from the Italian phrase "Fata Morgana," or "Morgan le Fay," a sorceress from Arthurian legend whom sailors attributed with creating these magical-seeming illusions.
- Google AI
A Fata Morgana can appear in the sky at virtually any altitude, from sea level up to high-altitude aircraft or mountaintops, because it depends on the presence of a strong thermal inversion layer in the atmosphere, not the observer's height. The height the mirage itself appears is not a fixed limit; rather, the phenomenon occurs when the observer is positioned within the atmospheric duct, where light bends, allowing objects to seem distorted and elevated well above the horizon.
- Google AI
I already shown that Fata Morgana can appear at any altitude and that the object can be enlarged.
"In Chinese folklore and religious traditions, a concept of a heavenly or mythical "cloud city" exists, referred to in some texts as Yuncheng (雲城). This is not a single, consistent legend but rather a theme in various stories and spiritual beliefs.
Key aspects include:
A Place of Refuge: In some Chinese eschatology (beliefs about the end of the world), the "Cloud City" (or "Magical City", "Golden City", etc.) is a divine city that descends from the heavens in the final days to offer refuge to "seed people" (the chosen ones).
Xiantiandao Texts: The term Yuncheng (Cloud City) is mentioned in the texts of the Xiantiandao (Way of Former Heaven) new religious movement, particularly the "Precious register of Cloud City". It is associated with a colloquy of seven deities who are in charge of universal salvation.
Mythical Location: In broader Chinese mythology and fictional settings (such as the Love Nikki game's lore, which draws heavily from Chinese culture), a "Cloud Empire" exists with a prominent "Cloud City" that is an ancient, powerful, and often high-tech or magically advanced civilization, sometimes involving flying dragons and phoenixes."