Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Sundogs: NASA explains Dancing Cloud - YouTube



Aliens? The Rapture arrived a few months too late? Luckily, NASA swooped in to save us from a worldwide panic with a fascinating, if not quite as exciting, natural explanation:
In summary, the hypothesis holds that a lightning discharge in a thundercloud can temporarily change the electric field above the cloud where charged ice crystals were reflecting sunlight. The new electric field quickly re-orients the geometric crystals to a new orientation that reflects sunlight differently. In other words, a lightning discharge can cause a sundog to jump. Soon, the old electric field may be restored, causing the ice crystals to return to their original orientation.
Read more about Sundogs at Cumbrian Sky website blog 

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