NASA spots mysterious 'cloud rosettes' only visible from space
Like flowers floating on a pond.
Some natural wonders aren't as obvious as the Grand Canyon or Victoria Falls. A NASA satellite caught sight of a series of striking "cloud rosettes" over the Indian Ocean. It looks like an unseen hand turned cloud formations into a flower arrangement.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured the breathtaking view on Jan. 29, and the space agency's Earth Observatory shared it as an image of the day on Friday. The clouds appeared off the western coast of Australia.
The rosettes are actinoform clouds, which NASA described as "a collection of shallow clouds that organize themselves in a distinct, radial structure." There's a good reason why you won't spot these lovely creations from the ground. The systems can span huge distances, as much as 180 miles (300 kilometers) across.
Scientists aren't entirely sure how these clouds form, so they're mysterious as well as beautiful.
