Bright Clouds, Dark Sky
November 08, 2005
Provided by: Geir T. Øye
Summary authors & editors: Geir T. Øye; Jim Foster
Looking like a scene from the movie Star Wars, these eye catching clouds drifted over Ørsta, Norway on the evening of March 1, 2005. Even though they appear to be glowing, it's thought that these mysterious clouds aren't high enough to be illuminated by the Sun -- nor are they nacrecous clouds. They may be a form of lenticular cloud, which appeared to be quite iridescent. About 20 minutes after the photo was taken, they dissipated. The clouds pictured above actually look more orange than was the case visually. Because they were much brighter than the sky, they're somewhat overexposed here. Note the Pleiades star cluster in the center of the photo.
Related Links: