This Cloud Always Hovers in the Same Spot, and Even NASA Researchers Have Noticed It
A peculiar, motionless cloud near New Zealand's southern coast has caught NASA's attention.
Earlier this year on September 7th, NASA's Landsat 8 Earth observation satellite captured an unusual phenomenon on earth: a cloud hovering over the Strath-Taieri region in southeastern New Zealand. This unique cloud formation looks like a long cigar, or even an alien spaceship from a sci-fi movie, as it hovers above a Rocky Mountain range.
The locals have named this striking cloud formation the "Taieri Pet" because it regularly appears in the same spot, and it is the locals' "pet".
Despite its appearance, there's a scientific explanation behind this unusual phenomenon. According to NASA, the "Taieri Pet" is actually a lens-shaped cloud known as an altocumulus standing lenticular cloud (ASLC). Such clouds form when strong winds move toward a steep obstacle, like a mountain range, forcing the air to rise and follow the terrain. As the air ascends to higher, cooler atmospheric layers, the water vapor condenses into a cloud, creating the ASLC's characteristic, stationary shape.
In these cases, the cloud appears to hover in place because the processes of condensation and evaporation reach a dynamic balance, holding the cloud steady.
Karl Philippoff, an expert at the Mount Washington Observatory, explains that although these clouds are constantly changing, they appear motionless to the human eye due to synchronized evaporation and condensation within them. ASLC formations like the "Taieri Pet" are often associated with mountain waves, oscillating air currents that result from strong winds passing over high terrain. These waves create powerful, swirling airflows that extend downwind, sometimes refracting sunlight in ways that make the cloud appear even more dramatic and colorful.
These lens shaped clouds are not only visually striking but also serve as natural warnings for air travel. The winds surrounding them can be extremely strong, producing severe turbulence that complicates flying. Consequently, pilots approach such areas with extra caution, as these clouds signal complex and potentially hazardous air currents.