Today's Image

UFO cloud

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October 16, 2019

Flying saucer like cloud in blue sky over gray mountains with rusty mining equipemnt in foreground. — Image via Karen Racette.

It looks a lot like a UFO … but it’s what’s called a lenticular cloud. These lens-shaped clouds typically form where stable, moist air flows over a mountain, and they can appear and disappear quickly. Karen Racette captured this one floating over Butte, Montana, on October 7, 2019.

More photos of lenticular clouds, plus a word about how they form.

EarthSky 2020 lunar calendars are available! They make great gifts. Order now. Going fast!

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October 16, 2019

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Today's Image

Eleanor Imster

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About the Author:

Eleanor Imster has helped write and edit EarthSky since 1995. She was an integral part of the award-winning EarthSky radio series almost since it began until it ended in 2013. She and her husband live in Tennessee, where they enjoy guitar playing and singing. They have 2 grown sons.