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APOD: 2024 November 19 Á Undulatus Clouds over Las Campanas Observatory
Explanation:
What's happening with these clouds?
While it may seem that these
long and thin clouds
are pointing toward the top of a hill, and that maybe a
world-famous observatory is located there, only part of that is true.
In terms of clouds,
the formation is a
chance superposition of impressively
periodic
undulating air currents in
Earth's lower atmosphere.
Undulatus, a type of
Asperitas
cloud, form at the peaks where the air is cool enough to
cause the condensation of opaque water droplets.
The wide-angle nature of the panorama
creates the illusion that the clouds converge over the hill.
In terms of land, there really is a world-famous observatory at the top of that peak:
the
Carnegie Science's
Las Campanas
Observatory in the
Atacama Desert of
Chile.
The two telescope
domes visible are the 6.5-meter
Magellan Telescopes.
The featured coincidental vista was a
surprise
but was
captured by the phone of a quick-thinking photographer in late September.
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NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: clouds
Publications with words: clouds
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