Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]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 December 15
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                        Mammatus Clouds over Nebraska
             Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Jorn Olsen Photography

   Explanation: When do cloud bottoms appear like bubbles? Normally,
   [4]cloud bottoms are flat. This is because moist warm air that rises
   and cools will [5]condense into water droplets at a specific
   temperature, which usually corresponds to a very specific height. As
   water [6]droplets grow, an opaque cloud forms. Under some conditions,
   however, [7]cloud pockets can develop that contain large droplets of
   water or [8]ice that fall into clear air as they evaporate. Such
   [9]pockets may occur in [10]turbulent air near a [11]thunderstorm.
   Resulting [12]mammatus clouds can appear especially [13]dramatic if
   [14]sunlit from the side. The [15]mammatus clouds [16]pictured here
   were photographed over [17]Hastings, [18]Nebraska during 2004 June.

                     Tomorrow's picture: magnetic spiral
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [30]Robert Nemiroff ([31]MTU) & [32]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([33]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [34]Specific rights apply.
              [35]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [36]ASD at [37]NASA / [38]GSFC
                           & [39]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix2015.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1912/mammatus_olson_1024.jpg
   3. http://www.jornolsen.com/
   4. https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/fgz/science/flatcloud.php
   5. http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_are_condensation_nuclei.htm
   6. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/GlobalClouds/
   7. https://www.globe.gov/web/s-cool/home/observation-and-reporting/cloud-type
   8. https://pmm.nasa.gov/education/content/what-are-clouds-made-are-they-more-likely-form-polluted-air-or-pristine-air
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbulence
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap101130.html
  12. http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/cldtyp/oth/mm.rxml
  13. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt0zXfEktuQ
  14. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/11/dd/61/11dd6174e69c390dc90be5a517e9fb1c.jpg
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammatus_clouds
  16. http://www.jornolsen.com/index.php?module=media&pId=102&id=3930
  17. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hastings,_Nebraska
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191214.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix2015.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  23. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  28. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=191215
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191216.html
  30. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  32. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  33. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  36. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  39. http://www.mtu.edu/