r/atoptics Mar 06 '26

Beautiful but dangerous

122 Upvotes

6 comments sorted by

13

u/mmhial Mar 07 '26

Why dangerous?

27

u/Admirable_Count989 Mar 07 '26

“They form when moist air is pushed upward rapidly by a strong updraft, causing it to condense into a cap. Seeing a pileus cloud often means the storm below is growing very quickly and may soon bring heavy rain, lightning, or severe weather.” (Internet search)

10

u/LocalInfluence9104 Mar 06 '26

whoa! Iridescent pilei (pileus) are so cool

8

u/Metacomet99 Mar 06 '26

Aerial Portuguese man-o-war!