China's strange skies, smartdust, HAARP or…something else?
China’s strange skies as sun halos and UFO-shaped clouds float across the horizon at the weekend
If you were in China last week, you could have been forgiven if you believed the end of days had arrived.
For one moment UFO-shaped clouds were floating across the blue skies – and then days later a halo appeared around the Sun, appearing to give it a halo for a few hours.
Both are simple weather phenomena – but both are also strange and unexpected sights that baffled many onlookers.
The unusual cloud above appeared over Jilin Province, China.
It is known as a lenticular clouds, and their spectacular shapes are popular with UFO believers, who spot the resemblance to flying saucers.
The clouds generally form over mountains – although in rare instances they can be caused by shear winds, and have been spotted over the UK on occasion.
The clouds generally form when stable air flows over the top of a mountain.
The moisture droplets are pushed up a steep slope, condensing into cloud on their way, and forming in a spiral formation over the top.
For people living near mountains, these sightings are a common occurrence.
But when visitors see one – or the cloud forms away from mountains – they are a startling shape.
Straight lines rarely form in nature, so to see such a tightly packed shape is a curious event.
