Earlier this week, I saw this catch a wave cloud over my house. The curving shapes on the upper surface looked like a series of waves.

Here’s the catch a wave cloud from a little farther away. When I looked into what kind of cloud it was, I found out they’re referred to as Kelvin-Helmholtz or fluctus clouds.

These extremely rare clouds form when two overlapping layers of air move at different speeds. They’re more likely to occur on very windy days or on days with marked upward and downward air movement.

If you see Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds, take pictures right away. They are created during periods of instability and often last only a few minutes. Sometimes, they may last up to an hour.

These beautiful clouds may have been the inspiration for Vincent Van Gogh when he created his “The Starry Night” painting in 1889.

Weekend Sky

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