Repetitive “UFO Cloud” Event Regularly Emerges in Identical Spot Across South Island, New Zealand

### UFO Clouds and New Zealand’s Curious “Taieri Pet”: Understanding Lenticular Clouds

The 2022 thriller *Nope* presented viewers with a distinctive and eerie extraterrestrial foe: an alien being masquerading as a stationary cloud. Although the concept of an alien camouflaged as a cloud may strike one as surreal, an intriguing real-world occurrence exists that bears some remarkable resemblances. These so-called “UFO clouds” are well-known to both researchers and the inhabitants of New Zealand’s South Island, where one persistent cloud formation has been disturbing residents for almost a century. Referred to as the “Taieri Pet,” this elongated, lenticular cloud has ascended into folklore—and the heavens—with its unsettling presence, but there’s no cause for alarm regarding extraterrestrials. Rather, the fascinating field of meteorology sheds light on this atmospheric curiosity.

#### What is the “Taieri Pet”?

The “Taieri Pet” frequently graces the skies around Middlemarch in Otago, a location on the eastern edge of New Zealand’s South Island. This recurring cloud formation is classified within a scientific category known as an *elongated altocumulus standing lenticular cloud* (ASLC). Most recently observed on September 7, 2022, the cloud was photographed from space by NASA’s Operational Land Imager (OLI) aboard Landsat 8. The satellite imagery showcased a white, oblong structure appearing almost stationary in the sky.

Observers on the ground or from various altitudes describe the cloud as looking like a “stack of plates” or a “pile of pancakes.” From a certain perspective, it genuinely resembles an alien mothership—thus inviting comparisons to UFOs. The intriguing aspect of the *Taieri Pet* and similar clouds? They seem to remain largely unmoving, creating the illusion of a fixed, looming body suspended aloft.

#### The Science Behind UFO Clouds

Despite their otherworldly appearance, lenticular clouds emerge through entirely natural mechanisms. According to NASA’s Earth Observatory, lenticular clouds are prevalent in regions with notable topographic features such as mountain ranges. These formations arise when wind traverses mountains, generating atmospheric ripples akin to how water flows over a rock in a stream. As air rises on the “crest” of these invisible waves, it cools, and moisture condenses to form clouds. On the wave’s descending side, air warms, evaporating the moisture and leaving the top of the wave as the visible cloud form.

In the case of the Taieri Pet, meteorologist John Law from New Zealand’s MetService provides a more localized explanation. The cloud typically forms over the Rock and Pillar Range, a series of steep, flat-topped hills positioned perpendicular to the prevailing northwesterly winds. When wind is compelled over the peaks, the air stabilizes into a wave-like configuration, with clouds forming at the crests. The strong winds accompanying this phenomenon continually mold and define the cloud’s appearance, flattening its top and giving rise to those signature stacked layers.

#### Why These Clouds Don’t Move

What deepens the intrigue surrounding lenticular clouds is their seemingly static quality. Many individuals anticipate clouds to drift with the wind, yet these suspended formations tend to appear fixed in place. The reason? Despite the evident movement of air across Earth’s surface, lenticular clouds act as atmospheric markers for the crest of a wave. As long as the conditions remain stable—such as wind speed, direction, and terrain shape—the cloud retains its location, forming and dissipating perpetually at the same point in the atmosphere.

#### Aviation Hazards: More Than Meets the Eye

While the *Taieri Pet* and other lenticular clouds may appear innocuous to ground-based viewers, they can pose significant hazards to high-altitude aircraft. Due to their elevation and freezing temperatures, lenticular clouds are capable of forming ice on aircraft surfaces. Furthermore, they are infamous for inducing turbulence. The vertical air currents linked with the waves forming the cloud can be extremely forceful, resulting in sudden and severe turbulence should aircraft attempt to navigate through them.

For pilots, steering clear of lenticular clouds is not merely a comfort issue—it’s a matter of safety. The vertical motions in the atmosphere prompted by wave patterns can disrupt flight trajectories and generate perilous flying conditions, especially within the lower freezing layers of the clouds.

#### Predictors of Weather

In addition to posing risks to aircraft, lenticular clouds serve as natural indicators of imminent weather shifts. According to NASA’s Earth Observatory, a lenticular cloud might sometimes foreshadow a weather change, particularly rain, as they frequently form when moisture-laden air is elevated by topographic barriers. When sighted, the cloud could suggest a storm or precipitation may be on the way.

#### More Than Just New Zealand: UFO Cloud Sightings Worldwide

Lenticular clouds are not exclusive