Mind-Blowing Cloud Formations You Probably Haven't Seen Before

Various cloud formations might be one of the most beautiful and romantic sights in nature. Still, these masses of liquid droplets is also a complex and scientifically interesting natural phenomenon. The interesting fact is that regardless of the shape and the looks of the cloud, they’re all made of the same thing – condensed water or ice. When the sun heats the ground, warm air starts to evaporate and rise towards the sky. Once these water vapor particles cluster together, a cloud is formed.

PSCs form at temperatures of around -85°C, colder than average lower stratosphere temperatures, and are comprised of ice particles ~10µm across. The clouds must be composed of similar sized crystals to produce the characteristic bright iridescent colours by diffraction and interference. PSCs form at very high altitudes, between 15 and 25 km (about 50,000 to 80,000 feet). Only at very low temperatures is there enough condensation to produce clouds in the extremely dry air at these altitudes. Sometimes in winter near the North or South Pole, temperatures in the lower stratosphere get lower enough for PSCs to form.