Hole Punch Cloud – Not UFO – Spotted over Moscow
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A rare cloud formation was spotted over Moscow this week, inciting widespread discussion of UFO sightings throughout the city – concerns which spread across the globe instantly via the internet. The British tabloid The Sun reported as a “Mystery UFO Halo” over Moscow although it was likely simply an interesting phenomenon created by planes flying through layers of thin high-altitude clouds.
A "hole punch cloud" as seen over Moscow last week. Such clouds are rare and awe-inspiring as their cause is still somewhat mysterious.
Hole punch clouds are often attention-grabbers, as they are relatively rare. When they do form, they tend to persist and are large enough to be seen for miles around.
The foundation of a hole punch cloud is traditionally a mid- or high-altitude cloud type such as cirrus or cirro-stratus. Such clouds generally form above 20,000 feet or so in the atmosphere. The National Weather Service has explained that such clouds are frequently composed of both ice crystals and super-cooled water droplets – water that is below the freezing temperature but still exists in liquid form. When such a delicate balance occurs, only a slight disruption of this delicate balance may lead to a striking result.
This hole punch cloud is a particularly vibrant example of both the foundational cloud form and the evaporation of the water droplets in the surrounding environment. Some hold punch clouds are even referred to as "crop circles in the sky."
A hole punch cloud photographed over Alabama in 2003. Photo Source: Gary Beeler, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, National Weather Service Mobile, Alabama.
Frequently, the ice crystals may slowly grow and expand at the expense of the liquid droplets. But when the balance is disrupted, the droplets may freeze instantly and thus permit the liquid droplets in the environment to evaporate, resulting in a “hole” in the cloud.
Another hole punch cloud, this one photographed over Colorado in 2007. Photo source: Colorado Uerlings: http://www.neatorama.com
It is believed that a cloud may be disrupted in this manner when a a jet flies through the thin cloud layer. Such a disruption may spur the quick freezing of liquid droplets and evaporation of other droplets. This would create the void in the space in which the jet passed through the layer.
While the source of hole punch clouds may be somewhat uncertain, they are certain to cause quite a vigorous discussion.
UPDATE (10/19/09): The cause of the Moscow hole punch cloud may have been discovered: cloud seeding. See Moscow Testing Cloud Seeding; Promises Winter Without Snow.
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the moscow hole punch cloud is not the normal type of hole punch cloud that you find and even then is there a normal type? when looking around the net i have found photos of many different types including a pentagram, cigar shapes, chains of these attached together.
the other thing is the moscow ufo or halo cloud started off as a true hole punch cloud would not someone in that city have noticed it or mentioned it? hole punch clouds or fallstreak holes start off as a hole in the sky. the moscow hole punch cloud does not appear to.
so the real question is how was the moscow hole punch cloud formed into a doughnut shape? the meteorology explanation is only an idea, it is not a fact and no one really knows how they are formed. what science tells us makes no sense. how do they form pentagrams (http://www.xearththeory.com/punch_hole_clouds_fallstreak_holes.html) and oblongs?
was the doughnut shape created by whatever creates a normal hole punch cloud but this time it was seen in a different form. does this show that the meteorology explanation for the moscow hole punch cloud is not correct.
please can someone on this site explain how all the different shapes are formed and especially the doughnut shape? it is an interesting test case for the standard theory
the proof of a good theory is that it can explain most related things.
that same website has a webpage (http://www.xearththeory.com/how_why_what_are_punch_hole_clouds_fallstreak_holes.html) that has a very different idea which seems to be that the ice particles are not the cause but an effect, a by product of what actually creates the hole punch clouds
all ideas need to be considered and it would be good to have a weather person give their thoughts on this
please fine the latest news about moscow sky hole
what hole? there was no hole in the moscow “hole punch cloud.” how bout those small things zipping out of the cloud? rare bird species that fly really fast?
wow that is really cool. Where i am from (China) There aren’t many of these there.