A Supercell Thunderstorm Over Texas
Video Credit & Copyright: Mike Olbinski; Music: Impact Lento (Kevin MacLeod, Incompetech)
Explanation: Is that a cloud or an alien spaceship? It’s an unusual and sometimes dangerous type of thunderstorm cloud called a supercell. Supercells may spawn damaging tornados, hail, downbursts of air, or drenching rain. Or they may just look impressive. A supercell harbors a mesocyclone — a rising column of air surrounded by drafts of falling air. Supercells could occur over many places on Earth but are particularly common in Tornado Alley of the USA. Featured here are four time-lapse sequences of a supercell in 2013 rotating above and moving across Booker, Texas. Captured in the video are new clouds forming near the storm center, dust swirling on the ground, lightning flashing in the upper clouds, all while the impressively sculptured complex rotates ominously. Finally, after a few hours, as shown in the final sequence, dense rain falls as the storm begins to die out.
Notable images submitted to APOD: Last week’s solar eclipse
Tomorrow’s picture: largest moon revisited
美国德州上空的超级胞雷暴系统
影片提供与版权: Mike Olbinski; Music: Impact Lento (Kevin MacLeod, Incompetech)
说明: 这是云还是外星人的飞船呢？它是不寻常而有时又挺危险，名为超级胞的一种雷暴系统。超级胞或许会产生致灾性的龙卷风、冰雹、下爆流、或滂沱大雨， 不过，有时它只是看起来让人敬畏而已。超级胞拥有中尺度气旋，一种持续旋转的上升气流，周围环绕着下沉气流。地球上许多地方都会出现超级胞，特别在美国的龙卷风走廊，更是常见到它的身影。这部主题影片包含四个缩时影像序列，呈现2013年发生和通过德州．布克镇上空的超级胞。在影片里，可见到令人敬畏形如雕塑般的超级胞复合体不停旋转之时，新云不停形成于风暴中心附近、地面有随风旋绕的沙尘、以及出现在高云内的雷闪。在几个小时后，如影片结尾所示，当这个风暴开始消散时，下起了滂沱大雨。
提交给APOD的值得注意的图像：上周的日食
明日的图片: largest moon revisited
