Look - up in the sky! It's a...lenticular cloud?

Yep, that UFO-shaped swirl is, in fact, a cloud. Reader Richard Kaufman, an elementary science teacher in Irvine, shot the photo while on a weekend trip to Palm Springs with his wife. (She spotted the cloud, he snapped the pix.)

Occasionally mistaken for space ships, lenticular clouds actually have a fascinating bit of science behind them, having to do with mountains, moisture content and air flow.  They've also got a very cool name: altocumulus standing lenticularis. More great pix of lenticular clouds here.

--Veronique de Turenne

Photo: Richard Kaufman / Your Scene

Comments

[Michael Dorn]

How do I get permission to use the photo above as a reference for an oil painting? Thanks