Clouds Covering Mount Chứa Chan Resemble Flying Saucers, Delighting Locals.
On the morning of October 31, workers in Xuân Lộc district, Long Khánh city, and Cẩm Mỹ district were surprised to see large clouds “gathering at the top of Mount Chứa Chan” resembling flying saucers. The white clouds atop the mountain against the blue sky created a stunning scene, a phenomenon scientists refer to as “lens clouds.”
Mr. Minh Hiền, from Lang Minh commune in Xuân Lộc district, reported that this phenomenon appeared early in the morning. “I went to the fields and saw it from a distance. This isn’t the first time; it has appeared intermittently over the years,” he said.
Some residents from Long Khánh city and Cẩm Mỹ district, located tens of kilometers away, could still clearly see the large, thick clouds enveloping the mountain. “Due to the high altitude, the peak often has clouds; however, it’s the first time I’ve seen such a wide and beautifully shaped cloud,” said Ms. Hằng from Long Khánh city.
Lens clouds on top of Mount Chứa Chan on the morning of October 31. (Photo: Như Hiền).
According to the Hanoi Astronomy Association (HAS), this phenomenon is actually lens-shaped clouds (Lenticular clouds). These are stationary clouds shaped like lenses, formed over high mountain ranges.
Mount Chứa Chan is located about 110 km from Ho Chi Minh City and stands 837 meters above sea level. It is the highest mountain in Đồng Nai and the second highest in the Southeast region of Vietnam. Besides Mount Chứa Chan, the peak of Ba Den Mountain also frequently experiences these lens clouds.
In a previous interview with VnExpress, Dr. Phan Thanh Hiền, a lecturer and researcher at the Space and Applications Department of the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH), explained that the lens cloud phenomenon occurs when moist air carried by the wind encounters mountains, causing it to rise and meet colder air, leading to condensation. The continuous and stable upward airflow creates layered wave patterns. Typically, at higher mountain peaks, temperatures decrease, reaching a threshold that allows condensation, resulting in clouds that resemble a “hat” on the mountain tops.
According to Dr. Hiền, this unusual cloud phenomenon depends on temperature, meaning that a sufficiently low temperature and adequate moisture will lead to condensation. “This is not a rare phenomenon, but it is infrequently encountered and has a unique shape, making it quite interesting and intriguing.”
Conditions for forming lens-shaped clouds resembling flying saucers. (Video: Brut Nature).
