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Credit & Copyright: Dario Giannobile
Explanation:
What's happening above that volcano?
Although Mount Etna is seen
erupting, the clouds are not related to the
eruption.
They are lenticular clouds
formed when moist air is forced upwards near a mountain or
volcano.
The surreal scene was captured by chance
late last month when the astrophotographer went to Mount Etna, a
UNESCO
World Heritage Site in
Sicily,
Italy,
to photograph the conjunction between the Moon and the star
Aldebaran.
The Moon appears in a bright
crescent phase,
illuminating an edge of the lower lenticular cloud.
Red hot lava flows on the right.
Besides some breathtaking stills, a companion
time-lapse video of the scene
shows the
lenticular clouds
forming and wavering as
stars trail far in the distance.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: clouds
Publications with words: clouds
See also: