Hole Punch Clouds

At times altocumulus cloud cover is pierced by circular or elongated holes, filled only with the wispiest of virga. These odd holes are known by many names: cavum, fallstreak holes, and hole punch clouds.  (Image credit: M. Garrison; research credit: A. Heymsfield et al. 2010 and A. Heymsfield et al. 2011; via NASA Earth Observatory) Read the full article

The Real Butterfly Effect

The butterfly effect -- that the flapping of a butterfly's wings in Brazil can cause a tornado in Texas -- expresses the sensitivity of a chaotic system to initial conditions. In essence, because we can't possibly track every butterfly in Brazil, we'll never perfectly predict tornadoes in Texas, even if the equations behind our weather forecast are deterministic. (Image credit: NASA; see also T. Palmer at Physics Today) Read the full article

"Nimbus"

Ephemeral clouds drift through unusual places in artist Berndnaut Smilde's works. He creates his clouds from smoke and water, launching them for a matter of seconds before they dissipate. (Image credit: B. Smilde and collaborators; via Colossal) Read the full article

Jupiter in Infrared

These recent composite images from the James Webb Space Telescope show Jupiter in stunning infrared detail. They're the result of several images taken in different infrared bands, then combined and rendered in visible light. In general, the redder colors show longer wavelengths and the bluer ones show shorter wavelengths. (Image credit: NASA/ESA/Jupiter ERS Team 1, 2; via Colossal) Read the full article

Sunrise Cloudscape

With the low sun angle of dawn, the details of this cloudscape stand out. Captured by an external camera on the International Space Station, this image shows cloud formations over the northwest Atlantic. (Image credit: NASA; via NASA Earth Observatory) Read the full article

Ship Tracks in the Sky

Line-like clouds criss-cross the Pacific Ocean in this satellite image. Each one is a ship track, a remnant left behind a passing ship.  (Image credit: J. Stevens; via NASA Earth Observatory) Read the full article

Stormy Landscapes

Photographer Mitch Dobrowner captures the power of major storm systems across the western United States and Canada in these dramatic black-and-white images. (Image credit: M. Dobrowner; via Colossal) Read the full article

Bullseye

The Cumbre Vieja volcano in the Canary Islands began erupting in mid-September 2021. This satellite image, captured October 1st, shows a peculiar bullseye-like cloud over the volcano. (Image credit: L. Dauphin; via NASA Earth Observatory) Read the full article