Lenticular clouds, Patagonia

© Sasha Juliard/Shutterstoc

We’ve identified these ‘flying objects’. World Meteorological Day

Though they may look like retro sci-fi spaceships, these strange shapes are lenticular clouds. Their name, like the word lens, comes from the Latin word for lentil, as they often take that shape. They begin to form in the troposphere when moist, stable air meets an updraft caused by a large standing object like a building or mountain. The air rises and if its crest goes below the dew point, it condenses into these fascinating clouds.

Thanks to the science of meteorology, we can explain these atmospheric phenomena. Today is World Meteorological Day, which commemorates the UN led World Meteorological Organization. Since 1950, this group has exchanged information between its members so the world can benefit from better understanding and predicting our atmosphere and weather.