Fact-Check: Flying Saucers (UFO) Appeared on the Mountains in Vietnam

UFO-shaped clouds form over southern Vietnam mountain

Lenticular clouds are seen on top of the Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh Province, southern Vietnam, at 6 a.m. November 24 (on Thursday) 2022.

Video footage of lenticular clouds on top of the Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh in August 2022. Video by Nguyen Dinh Quy:

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Rumors about aliens or UFO - Ba Den Moutain

Many rumors about the phenomenon of "flying saucer clouds" appearing on the top of Ba Den mountain (Tay Ninh), some people think that it is a forewarning sign of aliens. And has this strange phenomenon never appeared in the world?

Specifically, the image captures the moment when a large cloud forms a large halo surrounding the top of Ba Den mountain like a flying saucer, creating an interesting natural scene, surprising many people.

Some online users humorously described the image of clouds as a giant mushroom or an unidentified flying object (UFO).

"It's really a unique image, rarely happens. However, those who live near this mountain or some other mountains will also see a couple of times when clouds appear on the top of the mountain, with unique shapes" - Mr. Le Dinh Quyet - Deputy Head of Forecasting Department of Hydrometeorological Station in the South region, commented when looking at the cloud photo taken at Ba Den mountain.

Explaining this weather phenomenon, Mr. Le Dinh Quyet said that because low-level clouds (cumulus clouds) are structured in blocks, suspended at the height of the cloud base about 700-1000m, viewed from below, there are when shaped like cabbage, anvil-shaped. However, the characteristics of these topographic clouds will mostly be short-lived.

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The big cloud hovering over the top of Ba Den mountain looks like a flying saucer

Mr. Quyet also said: "This phenomenon will repeat again, especially around November, because there are often days with low air temperature, rain, and high humidity. This is just the shape of a pattern. cloud, which occurs under normal meteorological conditions, has only a very special cloud form".

Facts About 'Flying Saucer Cloud' Covers the Top of Ba Den Mountain

The "flying saucer clouds" that appeared on the top of Ba Den mountain on Nov.24 are called lenticular clouds by scientists, which are fixed clouds that form mainly in the troposphere, often parallel to the wind direction. From the outside, it looks like a lens or a flying saucer.

There are three main types of lenticular clouds: vertical lenticular (Altocumulus) clouds, which are masses of clouds with a spherical structure in layers or lines; stratocumulus clouds, resembling flat lenses or almonds. This type of cloud is created by gravitational waves from wind passing through obstacles; Cirrocumulus clouds are fine, lenticular clouds. They usually form at the crests of waves, can be quite long, and often have very clear boundaries, sometimes giving rise to an iris phenomenon. This type of cloud forms when stable air is pushed upward; largely due to topography (e.g. mountains).

The type of lenticular cloud that we see on the top of Ba Den mountain in Tay Ninh belongs to the type of middle cloud, which in Latin is Altocumulus lenticularis. It is a lenticular cloud, which may resemble a flying saucer or be mistaken for an "unidentified flying object".

In addition to this type, there are other types of cumulus clouds: stratified (Ac str), consisting of relatively flat plates or stratospheric clouds; pyramidal (Ac cas), a central pyramidal cloud that can grow significantly vertically, signaling an increase in air mass instability; tuft (Ac fluorine), which is a tufted central cloud showing greater instability.

Lenticular cumulus clouds typically form when moist, stable air collides with a large stationary object, such as a building or a mountain. They are most likely to form when the direction they move is perpendicular to the direction of the wind.

In general, the phenomenon of flying saucer-like clouds on Ba Den mountain in Tay Ninh is not unusual. I find it strange that we only see clouds like this from time to time. Scientists think that when air moves along the earth's surface, it often encounters obstacles such as mountains, hills or man-made structures (tall buildings, construction sites). This disrupts the airflow causing them to "swirl", or fall into a turbulent area.

Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Huy, senior adviser on climate change of Oxfam Organization in Vietnam, said that the image of a large white cloud appeared around the top of Ba Den mountain (Thanh Tan commune, Tay Ninh city). Tay Ninh province) on the morning of November 24 was a "lens" cloud.

According to Mr. Huy, this is a rare type of cloud, formed in the troposphere and extremely special. They are created from the edges of air waves or between layers of wind. Its special thing is that even if the wind is strong, it does not break the structure or melt. It only dissolves when another larger cloud invades or the moisture in the area stops evaporating, stopping its energy.

"The condition for the formation of a lens cloud is that there is a stream of cold, dry air moving horizontally, parallel to the ground, entering an area where there is a steady stream of hot and humid air evaporating from a mountain or When the moist air layer at the mountain is pushed up, it meets the dry and cold air mass coming in from the crosswind, it condenses into overlapping cloud disks. the air interacts and swirls around it, forming a lenticular cloud disk," explains Dr.

The representative of the Hanoi Astronomical Association also agreed that the images taken at Ba Den Mountain this morning are the phenomenon of lens clouds (Lenticular Clouds). These are stationary clouds, similar in shape to a lens and formed at a certain height. Usually they are formed in a direction parallel to the direction of the wind. Lenticular clouds can be divided into three types as follows: mesocumulus, stratocumulus and cumulus, depending on weather conditions and topography. Under certain conditions, lenticular clouds can extend for hundreds or even thousands of kilometers.

"This phenomenon is less common in Vietnam but is more common in mountains like Fuji (Japan). Maybe, in Vietnam, lenticular clouds also appear in many other peaks, but because of their location too close to the top of the mountain. high, we can hardly admire," this person said.

More Flying Saucers appear in Chua Chan Mountain

The image of a flying saucer-shaped lenticular cloud on the top of Chua Chan mountain

On the morning of November 25, many locals and tourists witnessed a rare natural phenomenon appearing on the top of Chua Chan mountain (Xuan Loc district, Dong Nai province).

A large, pure white cloud, shaped like a giant hat or flying saucer, covers the top of Chua Chan mountain (Xuan Loc district, Dong Nai province) - which is considered the "roof" of Dong Nai. This cloud appeared from 6 am and gradually moved, disappearing after 8 am.

Flying saucer on top of Chua Chan noodle?

Mr. Nguyen Hau (Xuan Loc, Dong Nai) - one of the first people to share the image of lenticular clouds on Chua Chan peak said: "I have been attached to this mountain for many years, used to take tourists to climb the mountain, I looked at the sea of ​​clouds halfway up the mountain, but I have never seen such a large, special-shaped cloud. ".

Chua Chan Mountain is located about 110 km from Ho Chi Minh City, 837 m high above sea level. This is the highest mountain in Dong Nai, the second highest in the Southeast, after Ba Den mountain (986 m, Tay Ninh).

In recent years, Chua Chan Mountain has become a favorite destination for those who love climbing experiences. This place has craggy climbs, many large rock holes, pristine jungle.

"Flying saucer clouds" in the world

In the world, there are many places where there are "UFO-type" clouds (unidentified flying objects), for example the cloud appears in the sky over Dublin, the capital of Ireland (June 30, 2015). They look like flying saucers from old 1950s movies.

On September 14, 2021, on an airplane, while passing through the volcano Rainier in Washington state (USA), Terri Jonas took a photo of this "flying saucer cloud", which looks quite similar to the middle clouds on Ba Den mountain, a picture. which Terri said “looks super interesting to me!” David Roberts also captured lenticular clouds over Mount Rainier, Washington.

On January 18, 2021, Jill Phipps in Tucson, Arizona (USA) also captured a similar cloud image. “These clouds caught my eye while driving home last night… They looked like flying saucers or stacks of pancakes,” she said.

Mr. Phung Minh Long, a Vietnamese living and working in Japan, said that the phenomenon of lenticular clouds often occurs at Mount Fuji, Japan. Mr. Long has witnessed and photographed this phenomenon many times, especially on days with high humidity and high winds (before or after the storm).

Is "flying saucer cloud" dangerous?

In general, the kind of clouds that appear on the top of Ba Den mountain just now are not dangerous, but pilots using motorized aircraft often avoid flying near these lenticular clouds. They are concerned about the turbulence and sinking air the propellers create at the trailing edges of these clouds. However, glider pilots love it. They actively seek them out to climb the upward-moving air at the front edge.

And the exact position of the rising air mass is fairly easy to predict, just by observing the direction of the clouds. According to Wikipedia, this type of "lifting wave" is usually very smooth and strong, allowing gliders to fly to considerable heights and cover great distances. As of 2020, skateboarding world records for distance (more than 3,000 km) and absolute altitude (22,657m) have been set using such lift.