NASA Satellite Inspects Strange-Looking Cloud That Always Forms in Same Spot

Okay, that's a weird one.

Pet Names

A NASA observation satellite has imaged an oddly-shaped cloud hovering above the Strath-Taieri region in southeastern New Zealand.

A satellite image shared by the space agency and taken on September 7 shows an unusual, elongated cloud nestled along a rocky mountain range. The strange-looking cloud formation often occurs in the same spot, leading locals to dub it the "Taieri Pet."

Though it sounds like alien sci-fi, there's a perfectly reasonable explanation: the peculiar cloud is an altocumulus standing lenticular cloud (ASLC), according to NASA, which is created when winds encounter a steep barrier such as a mountain range. Winds get swept up, creating a standing wave while air at the crest of the wave cools down enough to form water vapor, which condenses into clouds.

"As the cloud forms on the crest of this wave, it remains almost stationary in the sky and is shaped by the strong winds blowing through it," explained New Zealand’s MetService meteorologist John Law in a NASA statement.

Blowing Clouds

Other ASLC clouds can take on even more unusual shapes, appearing as a pile of stacked disc shapes or narrow bowls that reach high up into the sky.

Even the Taieri Pet, when viewed from the side, appears as stacked layers of clouds that reach hundreds of feet into the air, giving it an even more UFO-like appearance.

"What is unique about these clouds is that they are very dynamic, and while each individual air parcel is undergoing this cycle of cooling and condensing and warming and evaporating, visually, the cloud appears to be standing still," weather observer Karl Philippoff explained in a blog post for the Mount Washington Observatory.

With its extremely crisp edges, the Taieri Pet is actually the result of some extremely strong environmental forces.

"The appearance of the Taieri Pet is a great indicator of strong winds high in the atmosphere," Law explained.

Unsurprisingly, flying near the cloud can be hazardous and result in severe turbulence, according to NASA.

More on clouds: Oops! Geoengineering Trick to Cool Brutal Heat Could Spike Temperature Elsewhere, Scientists Say