Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Lenticular Clouds Over Washington

NASA ^ | November 04, 2012 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Are those UFOs near that mountain? No -- they are multilayered lenticular clouds. Moist air forced to flow upward around mountain tops can create lenticular clouds. Water droplets condense from moist air cooled below the dew point, and clouds are opaque groups of water droplets. Waves in the air that would normally be seen horizontally can then be seen vertically, by the different levels where clouds form. On some days the city of Seattle, Washington, USA, is treated to an unusual sky show when lenticular clouds form near Mt. Rainier, a large mountain that looms just under 100 kilometers southeast of the city. This image of a spectacular cluster of lenticular clouds was taken last December.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit & Copyright: Tim Thompson]

[SunkenCiv]

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[GeronL]

bump

not technically astronomy, though

[Morris70]

Nice photo.
Thought this was going to be vanity by the thread title.

[Past Your Eyes]

Here in New Hampshire, we sometimes see them around MOUNT Washington.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Notice the NORK missile contrail in the upper right corner of the photo. /s

[angelsonmyside]

Beautiful.

[blueunicorn6]

Of course those aren’t UFOs. Those are Bigfoot sky houses. Do I get my ten million bucks now?

[Oatka]

Reminds me of the Mothership coming in over the Devil’s Tower in “Close Encounters”.

Then again, maybe “they” are camouflaging themselves as clouds now. :-)

[TheOldLady]

They look as if they came off a potter’s wheel.

[djf]

Happens all the time.

I’m up on the Enumclaw plateau, about 45 miles nnw of the mountain, see them 4 or 5 times a month.

Because of the topology, there is alot of micro-weather situations here. I’ve been in the Cascades when in one day, the sun came out and it went to 70 degrees or so, the clouds rolled in and it rained, then the snow started and we got fogged in!

[djf]

Here's a cool shot around sunset.



You see them lots of times when it looks like the mountain has a hat on it!
I should drag my rear up there, haven't been on the mountain in about ten years or so...

[The Cajun]

Lenticulars are awe inspiring, this one is really spectacular, thanks for posting, saving it.

[The Cajun]

Now that one will make you stop and look, especially the lighting effect.

[djf]

Long as it doesn't do this, I'm happy!



And that reminds me, I had a dream the other night that it did erupt, and was launching white-hot rocks in my direction!

[The Cajun]

Yup, that would have messed up the lenticular a little.

[Bon of Babble]

Fabuloso!!

Copied and may us as screen saver!!