                        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.

                              2024 November 19
   A series of white parallel clouds are seen going off into the distance
   in a background blue sky. In the foreground is a hill with two domes at
     the top. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

               Undulatus Clouds over Las Campanas Observatory
       Image Credit & Copyright: Yuri Beletsky (Carnegie Las Campanas
                    Observatory, TWAN); h/t: Alice Allen

   Explanation: What's happening with these clouds? While it may seem that
   these long and thin clouds are pointing toward the top of a hill, and
   that maybe a world-famous observatory is located there, only part of
   that is true. In terms of clouds, the formation is a chance
   superposition of impressively periodic undulating air currents in
   Earth's lower atmosphere. Undulatus, a type of Asperitas cloud, form at
   the peaks where the air is cool enough to cause the condensation of
   opaque water droplets. The wide-angle nature of the panorama creates
   the illusion that the clouds converge over the hill. In terms of land,
   there really is a world-famous observatory at the top of that peak: the
   Carnegie Science's Las Campanas Observatory in the Atacama Desert of
   Chile. The two telescope domes visible are the 6.5-meter Magellan
   Telescopes. The featured coincidental vista was a surprise but was
   captured by the phone of a quick-thinking photographer in late
   September.

     Your Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday?
                                 (post 1995)
                      Tomorrow's picture: flight day 6
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

