Amazing Cirrus clouds invading the sky ~ Meteorology

Amazing Cirrus clouds invading the sky presents a series of photos of the Cirrus cloud type. It was photographed in Denmark on September 3, 2010, above Odense city in the early morning around 7 am local time.

Cirrus clouds are made up completely by ice crystals. They can form with a wide range of shapes and sizes. Typically they look like long, thin, wispy white streamers (with hooks) at high altitude in the sky. They are commonly known as “mare’s tails” because they are shaped like the tail of a horse. Its name come from the Latin word cirrus, meaning a ringlet or curling lock of hair.

Cirrus clouds normally form above 18.000 feet and go up to 45.000 feet. That is the same altitude as contrails that are generally left between 27.000 – 40.000 feet. That could be the reason why contrails over time transform into a Cirrus cloud type.

The delicate cloud strands in the above photo could look like the much more sophisticated Cirrocumulus. But when I look more closely I see it is Cirrus clearly because of the lines and strands in them. Explore the “Cirrus”-TAG for more on this cloud type.