Chicago Skyline Visible 60 Miles Away in Michigan Due to Fata Morgana Phenomenon

Weather.com ^ | 5/6/2019 | Brian Donegan and Jonathan Belles

[simpson96]

(The Chicago skyline was seen from 60 miles away across Lake Michigan in St. Joseph, Michigan, at sunset Saturday, May 4, 2019.)

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Imagine gazing across Lake Michigan expecting to see the setting sun on the horizon, but instead seeing the skyline of a distant city. That's what happened in St. Joseph, Michigan, Saturday evening.

This effect, captured on video by Joshua Nowicki, is called fata morgana, which is an optical bending of light by changes in air temperature over bodies of cold water, such as Lake Michigan in the spring.

The skyline of Chicago can be seen from a bluff in downtown St. Joseph, Michigan, 60 miles away.

According to NASA, the Windy City seems so much closer because of the way light is bent through layers of varying density. The light that reaches your eyes comes from different angles across the lake, and thus, the city seems to be growing or even floating.

[ßuddaßudd]

that image reminds me of ..
Cocolino Deep - Dont forget to fly ♪ ♫

[Fresh Wind]

[Fresh Wind]

Cata Morgana

[Bonemaker]

“60 miles involves noticeable earth curvature.”

Approx 3.1 miles to horizon.

[treetopsandroofs]

My first thought as well. Good job.

True story... A few years ago while playing softball, one of the other team’s little girl toddlers began running out onto the field to see her dad, and after calling Time Out, I had to explain to literally everyone why I had called her Morganna.

[Buckeye McFrog]

I once stood on a rock outcropping in the Laurel Mountains
and saw the US Steel Building in downtown Pittsburgh, also 60 miles away.

[Bonemaker]

Fata Morgana? This is the only Morgana I've ever heard of.

[exPBRrat]

HUH! Thanks for posting this interesting weather phenom.

[laplata]

Lol

[Bonemaker]

“Chicago Skyline Visible 60 Miles Away...”

If you can see shitcago you are too close.

[hanamizu]

CB radio to someone nearly 800 miles away due to (apparently) perfect atmospheric conditions.

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About that long ago, I got TV weather from a station in Wyoming here in SE Missouri. Lasted for about 5 minutes.

[laplata]

Right.

[laplata]

That’s for sure.

[dfwgator]

I could sometimes get TV Stations from as far away as Canada when I lived in the Southeast.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Years ago while living in Michigan I tuned a TV station
from Texas for about half an hour.

[Fresh Wind]

I see two Morganas there.

[Daffynition]

Beat me to it!

[PGR88]

I dated Fata Morgana in college.

[Bonemaker]

About 200 cubic mouthfuls!😎

[sit-rep]

once upon a time I thought it was 1” in 5 miles... dont really remember confidently