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SYFY WIRE Bad Astronomy

Australian Weather Forecast: Desert, With a Chance of White Wispy Beautiful
Clouds

By Phil Plait
terra_australia_clouds.jpg

So Iâm looking to see what weather I can expect when I go to Australia, and as if they were reading my mind (what kind of advanced tech is NASA working on, anyway?), I find NASA has posted a really beautiful image of wispy white clouds over Australiaâs polychromatic desert region:

That image was taken by NASAâs Terra satellite, an Earth-observing bird that investigates the interaction between the air, land, sea, and energy on our fair planet. On July 22, it was over central Oz where a low-pressure system was creating an onshore wind that carried moisture over the colorful desert. The contrast is striking, accentuated by the sharp edge of the system.

Right now in Boulder, Colo., weâve had pretty high temperatures, though not quite as blistering as last year near my house. Still, when I go outside and bake, itâs odd to think that Australia is in the middle of winter right now. Living on a spherical planet tiltedly spinning around a star is just a weird way to spend time.

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