Here’s what we know about the strange orange cloud seen in the skies of Turkey

Have the residents of Bursa, Turkey witnessed an alien invasion? Absolutely not! The strange orange saucer-shaped cloud that hovered over the city a few days ago is nothing more than a lenticular cloud. And what does a lenticular cloud eat in winter? We explain to you.

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What is a lenticular cloud?

First, let’s get one thing clear: the shape of the cloud seen in Turkey is not abnormal (or extraterrestrial).

Often, in fact, lenticular clouds (or altocumulus lenticularis for those close to you) have this particular shape which, for ordinary mortals, can look like a flying saucer or, in this very specific case, a vulva.

This type of cloud usually forms at an altitude of more than 2000 meters, on the tops of mountains, when two other ingredients come together: moist air and wind.

How did the cloud end up in town?

The city of Bursa, where the cloud was seen last Thursday, is located very close to Mount Uludag, which is barely 2550 meters high.

It was the time it formed that made the Turkish cloud so special: the phenomenon happened at sunrise. Its altitude, estimated between 3050 and 7000 meters, allowed it to capture the first light of day, hence its orange-pink color.

The lenticular cloud remained in the sky above Bursa for almost an hour before dispersing.

Such clouds can be observed in Canada, for example, near the Canadian Rockies, which crosses British Columbia and Alberta.

Unfortunately for us, a cloud is not ready to form over Mount Royal…

− With information from the Washington Post

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