Earth from space: Bizarre 'pet cloud' reappears above its favorite spot in New Zealand

image via Space.com

October 27, 2024, 1:00 PM

• •A recent satellite image captured the reemergence of a unique, UFO-like cloud, known as the 'Taieri Pet,' which appears above New Zealand's South Island when conditions are just right.
• •The wispy oblong, known by locals as the 'Taieri Pet,' is an elongated altocumulus standing lenticular cloud (ASLC) that frequently appears between the towns Middlemarch and Hyde in the Otago region of New Zealand's South Island.
• •ASLCs form when waves of air pass over a topographic barrier, like a mountain range, forcing water vapor to condense into vertical layers, according to the National Weather Service.

The Taieri Pet is a unique, UFO-like cloud that appears above New Zealand's South Island when conditions are just right. The cloud is an elongated altocumulus standing lenticular cloud (ASLC) that forms when moist air passes over the mountainous Rock and Pillar Range and is held in place and further shaped by perpendicular winds blowing from the north. The cloud can be several hundred feet tall and is often mistaken for a UFO.

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