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Huge lenticular cloud near Mt. Fuji

Bad Astronomy
By Phil Plait
Jun 29, 2012 3:44 PMNov 19, 2019 8:26 PM

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Astronomers love clouds. Well, actually a lot of us hate clouds, but a lot of us are fascinated by meteorology, and clouds in particular. I love 'em all, from cumulonimbus to mammatus. But there's something about the bizarre lenticular clouds -- lens-shaped beasties that form downwind from mountains. So how could I not love this video of a gigantic lenticular that formed near Mt. Fuji in Japan?

[embed width="610"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMXnfRyRQtQ[/embed]

Yegads. I have a decent understanding of these, but even I would've soiled myself if I had seen this one. I love the layering in it, and how perfectly shaped it is. I've seen a few like it (see Related Posts below) but never one as nice as this. Now that summer has hit once again - with a vengeance here in Boulder - I'm hoping to see more. If I do I'll be sure to snap some pix and post 'em. Tip o' the brolly to BABloggee Cristiana Senni.


Related Posts: - Lenticular clouds over the Boulder foothills - Windswept clouds over Boulder - The odds of successfully surviving an attack on an Imperial Star Destroyer are approximately… - Time lapse: Epic Skies

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