Atmospheric Phenomena

Phenomenal Wonders Of The Natural World

Sailing Stones

The mysterious moving stones of the packed-mud desert of Death Valley have been a center

of scientific controversy for decades.

Rocks weighing up to hundreds of pounds
Have been known to move up to hundreds of yards at a time.

Some scientists have proposed
That a combination of strong winds and surface ice account for these movements.

However, this theory does not explain evidence of
Different rocks starting side by side
And moving at different rates and in disparate directions.

Moreover, the physics calculations do not fully support this theory
As wind speeds of hundreds of miles per hour
Would be needed to move some of the stones.

Natural Phenomenon: A Murmuration of Starlings

Two women encountered one of nature’s most fleeting phenomena while out canoeing in Ireland. A murmuration of starlings. Take a moment to watch the amazing footage they captured, and marvel at the wonder and complexity of the universe we inhabit.

[NOTE: Wait until a minute into the video clip to view this amazing event]

source

Ghostly Missile Vapor Trail Over Russia

Russian photographer Maxim Korotchenko happened to catch these curious formation on the night sky over the city of Astrakhan, on June 7, 2012. The unusual glow, like the northern lights, hung over the city for about half and hour before fading away. The serpentine trail is likely to be caused by the test launch of a ballistic missile "Topol".

Sometimes when the weather, the time and the light is just about right, rocket launches can leave spectacular trails over the sky. It’s called twilight phenomenon.

Twilight phenomenon is produced when unburned particles of missile or rocket propellant and water left in the vapor trail of a launch vehicle condenses, freezes and then expands in the less dense upper atmosphere. The exhaust plume, which is suspended against a dark sky is then illuminated by reflective high altitude sunlight, which produces a spectacular, colorful effect when seen at ground level. The phenomenon typically occurs with launches that take place either 30 to 60 minutes before sunrise or after sunset when a booster rocket or missile rises out of the darkness and into a sunlit area, relative to an observer's perspective on the ground.