Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2019 August 19

                      Lenticular Clouds over Mount Etna
                 Image Credit & Copyright: Dario Giannobile

   Explanation: What's happening above that volcano? Although Mount Etna
   is seen erupting, the clouds are not related to the eruption. They are
   lenticular clouds formed when moist air is forced upwards near a
   mountain or volcano. The surreal scene was captured by chance late last
   month when the astrophotographer went to Mount Etna, a UNESCO World
   Heritage Site in Sicily, Italy, to photograph the conjunction between
   the Moon and the star Aldebaran. The Moon appears in a bright crescent
   phase, illuminating an edge of the lower lenticular cloud. Red hot lava
   flows on the right. Besides some breathtaking stills, a companion
   time-lapse video of the scene shows the lenticular clouds forming and
   wavering as stars trail far in the distance.

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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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