Filmmakers love New Zealand. Its landscapes are reminiscent of other worlds, which explains why so much of The Lord of the Rings was filmed there. The country has everything to offer, from long, subtropical sandy beaches to active volcanoes.
The country's otherness extends into the atmosphere, where, when conditions are right, a cloud nicknamed “Taieri Pet” forms.
The Taieri Pet is a lenticular cloud, a stationary type of cloud that forms under certain circumstances. They occur in the troposphere when wind blows over an obstacle, typically a mountain. There are three types: Altocumulus Standing Lenticular (ACSL), Stratocumulus Standing Lenticular (SCSL) and Cirrocumulus Standing Lenticular (CCSL). Each type forms at a different altitude.
When the wind is forced to move up and over an obstacle, a lower pressure zone is created on the leeward side. When the wind moves, standing waves are created. Under the right conditions, these waves become visible as moisture condenses.
The Taieri Pet forms over the New Zealand Rock and Pillar Range in the Strath-Taieri region of Otago on the South Island of New Zealand.
The Otago region of New Zealand's South Island is home to the Taieri pet. Image source: Peetel, (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International.)
The cloud is a common feature near the town of Middlemarch. It is mentioned in newspapers as early as the 1890s. Locals sometimes viewed Taieri Pet's appearance as a signal that a storm was approaching.
This page is from the Otago Witness, Issue 2226, October 29, 1896. It describes the Taieri pet as “our ancient forecaster” because it forms before a storm. Image source: No known copyright.
The Operational Land Image (OLI) on Landsat 8 captured this stunning image of the Taieri Pet in September. Landsat 8 follows a polar orbit that allows it to observe the entire Earth's surface every 16 days.
This enlarged image shows the cloud and surface in more detail. The picture shows Macraes Mine, New Zealand's largest gold mine. Image source: NASA/Lauren Dauphin; USGS
The Landsat satellites have been monitoring the Earth from their orbit 705 km above us for over 50 years. The images and data are widely used by scientists, but they are also beautiful portraits of the extraordinary planet that once existed in our solar system.
Anyone can enjoy the Landsat galleries found here.
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