Sunday, February 6, 2011

Fujisan at sunset


Fujisan at sunset
capped by a fish-shaped pink cloud
surfing the jetstream

During a magical sunset, this lens-shaped cloud forms and transforms in shape and color directly over the peak of Fujisan. Like a fish with a pink body and white tail, it hovers in the same spot during the entire sunset. I keep vigil over its lovely shape-shifting from small pinkish blur to large pink fish to small gray smudge until I can no longer see it in the dark. 
          This saucer-shaped cloud, sometimes mistaken for a UFO, is an altocumulus lenticularis, which forms at the crest of waves in the moist airstream above raised ground such as a hill or mountain peak. Unlike most clouds that drift along with the wind, these stay in the same position as long as the airstream remains fixed.

1 comment:

  1. This is a magical image. And I love how your Facebook post links back to your website. -- Diane Porter

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