Starship Asterisk*

A Supercell Storm Cloud Forming over Wyoming

Explanation: How do supercell storm clouds form? Pictured above is a time-lapse video taken last Sunday detailing the formation of one such violent supercell in eastern Wyoming, USA. Starting as part of a large and dark thunderstorm complex, the supercell comes together along with a large rotating updraft of air known as a mesocyclone. Mesocyclones form during rapid changes in wind speed and direction with height and can produce torrential rain, damaging hail, swirling winds, and sometimes tornadoes. Storm watchers are seen studying, imaging, and ultimately running from the developing storm cloud during the video. During the middle part of the video, the kilometer-wide supercell can be seen swirling ominously with a nearly flat bottom. Toward the end of the video, another swirling supercell cloud forms but then quickly dissipates.

<< Previous APOD

This Day in APOD

Next APOD >>

[/b]

First of all, I turn off the lackadaisical "music" to concentrate on all fascinating details of cloud forming and whirls. I wish for a possibility to play those time laps movies in even slower motion. So much happens in all parts of the pictures.

Awesome!

In the original, and now nearly completely lost, sense of generating an overwhelming sense of awe in the viewer.

At least it was awesome after I hit the mute button on the keyboard to silence the horribly distracting noise of the soundtrack.

Neither of these mesocyclones would I want to fly into. It is not dark, and they are not embedded, so the chances of that would be slim - but equally fearsome monsters can be found prowling unseen in many a summer system.

One of the very few times in life when it would be better being on the ground looking up at the sky, than in the sky looking down at the ground.

Awesome. Truly.

Thanks for posting this (in spite of the whinging comments of "but it is not astronomy" which it will likely engender).

APOD Robot wrote:...... Storm watchers are seen studying, imaging, and ultimately running from the ..............

Sometimes its better to flee and fight another day

Wow, a kilometer wide- that is pretty intense. Cant say Id have been standing around too terribly long.

Please remove all pop up polling questions, ads, etc. (coming via YouTube) before displaying on the APOD page. Not appropriate for this site.

mike0609 wrote:Please remove all pop up polling questions, ads, etc. (coming via YouTube) before displaying on the APOD page. Not appropriate for this site.

The polls are being run by the editors and are not pop ups.

RedFishBlueFish wrote:Awesome!

In the original, and now nearly completely lost, sense of generating an overwhelming sense of awe in the viewer.

At least it was awesome after I hit the mute button on the keyboard to silence the horribly distracting noise of the soundtrack.

Neither of these mesocyclones would I want to fly into. It is not dark, and they are not embedded, so the chances of that would be slim - but equally fearsome monsters can be found prowling unseen in many a summer system.

One of the very few times in life when it would be better being on the ground looking up at the sky, than in the sky looking down at the ground.

Awesome. Truly.

Thanks for posting this (in spite of the whinging comments of "but it is not astronomy" which it will likely engender).

Thanks for pointing out the meaning of "Awesome." I love the word in its original sense.

CURRAHEE CHRIS wrote:

APOD Robot wrote:...... Storm watchers are seen studying, imaging, and ultimately running from the ..............

Sometimes its better to flee and fight another day

Wow, a kilometer wide- that is pretty intense. Cant say Id have been standing around too terribly long.

For us raised under the English system of measurement, 5K is roughly 3 miles.

One hit from THAT.....and you are NO LONGER IN KANSAS!!!!!! Not that this touched ground.

Awesomely fascinating....I found the lenticular formations of interest. It also looks like almost put together of individual cloud systems and layers. (An off balanced layer cake). Like individual cotton balls.....OH THAT'S IT.....you see clouds coming into it....like a huge cotton candy machine!!!!! And it just keeps building....

:---[===] *

I actually enjoyed the music!

An awesome sight indeed. You just have to love, but pay respect to, nature at its most angry. Few things are more impressive than a really angry sea, this comes a very close second.

How much actual time elapses during the 'video'?

My reaction was also how awesome it is. Perhaps I should say awe-inspiring!

The scene between about 50 to 70 seconds is particularly amazing. Almost like a giant foot that was about to stamp on the ground!