Witnesses were both surprised and concerned when they spotted a cloud shaped remarkably square, “like a neatly cut piece of cake” in the sky. What could explain this phenomenon?
Everyone knows that clouds can take on all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors, and even exhibit various movement patterns. However, no one can help but be astonished when seeing a cloud that is perfectly square, as if it were cut sharply and neatly.
This striking image of the cloud was captured by an individual in Memphis, Tennessee, and quickly shared online, garnering hundreds of thousands of likes and prompting many to wonder why such an unusual cloud exists.
Netizens commented with remarks such as:
“Is the sky’s ‘operating system’ malfunctioning today?”
“I’ve noticed that the sky hasn’t been normal lately.”
“I once heard Elon Musk say we might all be living in a virtual reality game; now I’m starting to believe it.”
It is indeed perplexing to see a square cloud, as if someone had taken a knife or scissors to cut and paste it onto the sky.
While the square cloud has become a topic of discussion, the meteorological agency in the U.S. has responded. They noted that in 2014, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman observed a square-shaped cloud and captured a photo of it from the International Space Station. Although that cloud had a strange shape, it posed no issues.
A square cloud drifting, captured by astronaut Reid Wiseman from the International Space Station. (Photo: Reid Wiseman).
The shape of clouds can be influenced by wind and moisture, but it is very rare for clouds to take on a perfect shape. The aforementioned square cloud may just be a coincidence. Meteorologist Roger Smith from the University of Munich (Germany) stated that a square cloud “is not a mystery, but it is very rare and quite special.” However, he shared that since there is no evidence that these “strange clouds” signal or cause any extreme phenomena, it is challenging for scientists to secure funding to study them.
Smith remarked: “It’s difficult to get a budget to study something that looks so neat and perfect.”
