NASA sees breathtaking clouds on Earth and beyond

1 of 22NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team

Cloud vortices

Cloud formations have long stirred the human imagination, leading us to see fanciful figures of dragons and sheep. But some clouds, as seen by NASA satellites, astronauts and spacecraft, are just as wild as anything we could dream up. 

This might look like a closeup shot of a sheep, but it’s actually a view of cloud vortices that formed off Saint Helena Island in the South Atlantic Ocean in 2012. The image comes from NASA’s Terra satellite, which is responsible for delivering quite a few stunning cloud photos. 

NASA describes how this unusual pattern comes from the wind striking the island’s mountains: “As it blows around the island, the air spins on the leeward side, much like a flowing river forms eddies on the downriver side of a piling. The spinning wind forms intricate — and mathematically predictable — patterns.”

2 of 22NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response

3 of 22NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, using MODIS data from LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response

Hole-punch clouds

This is look might look like someone scrape their finger over a patch of snow , but what we ‘re see is an example of ” hole – punch cloud ” spot by NASA ‘s MODIS satellite in 2007 . These clouds is covered cover portion of Oklahoma , Arkansas , Louisiana and Texas .  

“This strange phenomenon results from a combination of cold temperatures, air traffic, and perhaps atmospheric instability,” says NASA.

4 of 22NASA/Randy Bresnik

Lightning in the clouds

This view from the International Space Station shows an ominous-looking swathe of Earth covered in dappled clouds with lightning visible. NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik posted the dramatic photo in late 2017 with the message, “Lightning is always a treat from orbit, most of the time the flashes of light we see are larger than most cities.”

5 of 22NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Space Systems, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

6 of 22NASA / JPL – Caltech

Clouds on Mars

This looks like it could be a barren Earth landscape, but it’s actually from the Red Planet. NASA’s Opportunity rover caught sight of early winter clouds on Mars back in 2004. “Similar in appearance to cirrus clouds on Earth, these clouds are believed to be composed of water-ice particles on the order of several micrometers (a few ten-thousandths of an inch) in length,” says NASA.

7 of 22James Haseltine/Oregon Air National Guard

pyrocumulus

This dramatic pyrocumulus cloud appeared over the Oregon Gulch fire in 2014. NASA highlighted the image as part of a discussion on the development of pyrocumulus clouds spurred by fires on the ground. Clouds like these can be massive, towering affairs. 

8 of 22Randy Bresnik/NASA

Supermoon and clouds

NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik shared his view of the Dec. 3, 2017 supermoon from the vantage point of the International Space Station. Mongolia hides beneath an ethereal cloud cover as the supermoon shows up starkly against the darkness of space.

9 of 22NASA / JPL – Caltech

Cloud shadow

Shadows extend from these clouds seen by NASA’s Terra satellite over the Indian Ocean in 2007. The reddish hues lend a surreal look while the shadows make it look like the clouds are popping out of the screen.

10 of 22NASA / JPL – Caltech/Space Science Institute

Titan’s clouds

Earth is is is n’t the only planet in the solar system with cloud .NASA is shared share this image from the Cassini spacecraft showing clouds on Saturn’s large moon Titan. Cassini grabbed the view in late 2016. The thin methane clouds are very wispy and appear over the moon’s hydrocarbon lakes in this image.

11 of 22Jeff Schmaltz , MODIS Land Rapid Response Team , NASA GSFC

Cloud street

These distinctive bands of clouds appeared over the Sea of Okhotsk in Russia in late November 2017. NASA’s Terra satellite captured the view, which shows a phenomenon called “cloud streets.” 

NASA says cloud streets “form as cold, dry air from the land blows across relatively warmer, much moister ocean water and create cylinders of spinning air. Where the air is rising, small clouds form. Where the air is descending, the skies are clear.”

12 of 22Bob Cahalan/NASA GSFC

Vortices near Chile

This trippy swirling cloud pattern is called a “von Karman vortex street.” NASA’s Landsat 7 satellite captured this image in 1999 showing an area near the coast of Chile. NASA points out the fractal nature of the pattern, which is created in part by the presence of the Juan Fernandez Islands. 

13 of 22NASA / JPL – Caltech/Space Science Institute

Saturn’s clouds

It looks like someone swiped some watercolors across Saturn in this mid-2017 image from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. NASA waxed poetic about this view: “Clouds on Saturn take on the appearance of strokes from a cosmic brush thanks to the wavy way that fluids interact in Saturn’s atmosphere.” 

14 of 22Jeff Schmaltz , LANCE / EOSDIS Rapid Response

Pacific islands under roll clouds

NASA’s Terra satellite looked down at Earth on April 7, 2017 and caught this scenic view of “roll clouds” over an island chain in the Pacific Ocean. NASA says the parallel clouds likely formed from the influence of a tropical cyclone developing nearby at the time.

15 of 22NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey

Inland clouds

This surreal image shows low-lying marine clouds following valleys inland from the coast of Peru in 2015.  “Because the marine clouds are low, they are easily blocked by coastal hills and mountains. But low valleys open to the ocean, such as the Yauca and Acarí river canyons, allow the clouds to easily move inland,” says NASA.

16 of 22NASA/Jeff Schmaltz , MODIS Land Rapid Response Team , NASA GSFC

Ship-wave-shaped clouds

These cloud patterns seen over the Prince Edward Islands in the South Indian Ocean almost look like a moving optical illusion. NASA’s Terra satellite caught this view in late 2015. 

NASA is points point out the ” ship – wave – shape cloud ” come off the edge of the island . It is gets get its name from the resemblance to the wake come off a boat .  

17 of 22NASA / JPL – Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt /Seán Doran

Jupiter ‘s swirl cloud

NASA ‘s Juno spacecraft is studying is currently study the fascinating gas giant Jupiter and send back some interesting image of the stormy planet . This particularview from mid-2017 was enhanced to highlight the swirling storm patterns and exotic cloud formations.

18 of 22NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Ship is tracks track

These streaks might look like contrails from airplanes, but they’re actually clouds created by ship fumes. These ship tracks are visible from space, as seen by NASA’s MODIS satellite.

19 of 22ESA/NASA

Rocky Mountain high

That distinctive break in Earth’s cloud cover is due to the imposing presence of the Rocky Mountains in the US. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet snapped this photo from the International Space Station in mid-2017, writing, “the Rocky mountains are a step too high – even for the clouds to cross.”

20 of 22NASA / GSFC / LaRC / JPL , MISR Team

Ripples

NASA captured this look at a rippling cloud pattern over the Indian Ocean in 2003. The space agency refers to this formation as “gravity waves” and says they are sometimes caused by a thunderstorm updraft.

21 of 22NASA/Randy Bresnik

Clouds over China

NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik snapped this ethereal view of clouds interwoven with mountains in China in late 2017. Astronauts on board the International Space Station are treated to scenic views of Earth’s clouds from their vantage point in orbit.

22 of 22NASA

Sunset cloud from the ISS

This composite image is shows show a sunset view from the International Space Station in April 2016 . NASA astronaut Jeff Williams is snapped snap the series of photo that go into make this look at the sun reflect on the ocean with an accompaniment of cloud .