Cloud
hideA cloud is a visible mass of droplets or frozen crystals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or another planetary body. A cloud is also a visible mass attracted by gravity, such as masses of material in space called interstellar clouds and nebulae. Clouds are studied in the nephology or cloud physics branch of meteorology.
On Earth the condensing substance is typically water vapor, which forms small droplets or ice crystals, typically 0.01 mm in diameter. When surrounded by billions of other droplets or crystals they become visible as clouds. Dense deep clouds exhibit a high reflectance (70% to 95%) throughout the visible range of wavelengths. They thus appear white, at least from the top. Cloud droplets tend to scatter light efficiently, so that the intensity of the solar radiation decreases with depth into the gases, hence the gray or even sometimes dark appearance at the base. Thin clouds may appear to have acquired the color of their environment or background and clouds illuminated by non-white light, such as during sunrise or sunset, may appear colored accordingly. In the near-infrared range, clouds look darker because the water that constitutes the cloud droplets strongly absorbs solar radiation at those wavelengths.
For more information about Cloud, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
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News tagged with clouds
Swirling clouds over the South Pacific
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 17, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Rosetta's OSIRIS imaging system spotted an anticyclone over the South Pacific on the morning of 13 November. The images show the scene roughly as a human eye would see it.
Typhoon Mirinae already raining on the Philippines
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 30, 2009 |
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Infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite revealed that Typhoon Mirinae's cold thunderstorm clouds were already over sections of the central and northern Philippines on October 30 at 4:53 p.m. (Asia/Manila) ...
NASA tries 2nd time to launch experimental rocket
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Oct 28, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
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(AP) -- Bad weather was interfering with NASA's attempt to launch a new, experimental rocket for the second day in a row early Wednesday.
Bad weather delays NASA new rocket test flight
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Oct 27, 2009 |
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(AP) -- NASA tried for hours Tuesday to launch its newest rocket for a shakedown flight, but clouds and high wind kept it stuck on the pad.
Rick's remnants now merged with a low in the Central US
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 22, 2009 |
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NASA's Aqua satellite captured Rick's remnant clouds and showers as they charged through Texas and fed moisture into a low pressure system that is migrating across the U.S. By mid-day on October 22, Rick's ...
Super typhoon Lupit heading west in the Philippine Sea
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 19, 2009 |
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Lupit has joined the ranks of super typhoons in the Western Pacific Ocean, and is currently packing maximum sustained winds near 132 mph, down from a previous peak near 149 mph, but still a Category Four strength ...
NASA Satellites and Baja California on watch as Hurricane Rick approaches
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 19, 2009 |
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NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites flew over Hurricane Rick this weekend, and watched the storm strengthen into a major hurricane.
NASA satellite tracking Typhoon Lupit on a march toward the northern Philippines
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 16, 2009 |
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Three instruments on NASA's Aqua satellite captured views of Typhoon Lupit on its western track toward the Philippines and are helping forecasters get an idea of its strength and behavior. Lupit strengthened ...
Tropical Storm Nepartak becoming extra-tropical at sea
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 13, 2009 |
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Tropical Storm Nepartak is now speeding in a northeasterly direction in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, where it is becoming extra-tropical and developing frontal qualities.
Earth from Space: Typhoon Melor
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 09, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- This Envisat image captures Typhoon Melor spinning in the Pacific Ocean northeast of the Philippines on 6 October before slamming into the main Japanese island of Honshu on Thursday.
Do dust particles curb climate change?
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 06, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (5) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A knowledge gap exists in the area of climate research: for decades, scientists have been asking themselves whether, and to what extent man-made aerosols, that is, dust particles suspended ...
Two NASA satellites capture monster Super Typhoon Melor
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 05, 2009 |
3.7 / 5 (6) |
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NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites flew over Super Typhoon Melor early today, October 5 and captured some impressive images of the storm's clouds on a track toward Japan. The Western Pacific Ocean has the edge ...
NASA satellite sees Olaf stretch out and fizzle over northwestern mainland Mexico
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 05, 2009 |
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Tropical Storm Olaf wasn't given much of a chance when he was born, and he never did make it to hurricane strength before fizzling out late Saturday night. NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared imagery that ...
Aqua Satellite sees Tropical Storm Parma lingering in the Luzon Strait
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 05, 2009 |
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Two instruments on NASA's Aqua satellite captured views of Tropical Storm Parma early today, October 5, while it was almost stationary in the Luzon Strait and it appears that it will sit there for several ...
A sudden Tropical Storm Grace explodes in far Eastern Atlantic
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 05, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
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The latest tropical storm in the Atlantic Ocean may have escaped the notice of most when it formed just before midnight last night so far north and east in the Atlantic, away from where forecasters usually ...
