Have you ever looked up at the sky, saw clouds that look like alien spaceships, and wonder if we’re being invaded by one of our neighbors in outer space?

Lenticular clouds are often known as UFO clouds. Although the name might sound ominous, they are really nothing to fear. The clouds get their name because of their shape. They appear in the sky as flat discs that resemble a UFO. Although they can be seen across the world, they are more common to South Africa.

First Appearance

Source: Shutterstock

Source: Shutterstock

Some lenticular clouds that have been seen in across the globe were close together and appear in large numbers. When you view the clouds, you might think that you’re looking at a scene from an alien movie instead of a beautiful work of nature. 

The clouds often appear puffy as they drop down from larger clouds in the sky. The edge of each cloud is usually smooth as to depict the design of a UFO, which is why some people confuse them with a vehicle transporting aliens.

Cloud Development

Lenticular clouds are often seen over tall mountains. This is another reason they appear so ominous. They look like they are simply floating on the mountains’ peaks instead of clouds dropping down from a larger source. 

When these massive gray clouds are seen over cities, it can cause a bit of panic if residents and visitors don’t know what they’re actually looking at. 

Source: Shutterstock

Source: Shutterstock

Lenticular clouds develop when winds filled with moisture become strong and blow over mountain peaks or terrain that is a bit jagged. This isn’t something that happens all the time when clouds filled with moisture blow over. However, when this scenario does occur, you can usually see several clouds at one time.

Even though lenticular clouds aren’t directly linked to UFOs, there have been some indications in the past of strange sightings in the sky when these clouds appear. Sometimes, the clouds are seen during snowstorms. They are also known in some areas of the world as hole-punch clouds if they have a thin design or if the clouds don’t drop completely from the larger cloud source. 

At times, lenticular clouds can appear linked together because the wind blows the edges. However, this is usually nothing to be concerned about aside from the eerie appearance.