On December 6, 2016, a mysterious spherical cloud appeared in the skies of Japan, looking like some kind of fluffy, hovering cotton ball. Pictures of it (seen here) first spread throughout social media, then eventually hit the news.
The individual who took the pictures (and posted them on Twitter) said the cloud first appeared very spherical, then later seemed to dissipate. Its unusual appearance led many to wonder — how did it get so round?
According to ScienceAlert, such strange cloud formations are not uncommon. In fact, it’s entirely possible this spherical cloud only appeared spherical from that particular angle. Another photograph, from a different angle, showed it as more jagged and oval in shape. It may have actually been a cumulus fractus cloud.
However, while that explanation may settle the Case of the Mysterious Japanese Cotton Ball Cloud, there are some who believe certain mysterious clouds are more than meets the eye. Are aliens hiding within them?
Cloaking in the Clouds
Just last month, UFO Sightings Daily shared an old story from 1966, in which a mother and daughter allegedly had their own encounter with a “cotton ball” cloud in New York. Like the one mentioned above, it too seemed to dissipate, but afterwards something incredible happened.
As the cloud vanished, it revealed a large saucer-like object, which then brightened and disappeared.
Scott Waring himself has mused that these UFOs not only use clouds for cover (like what allegedly happened earlier this year, when a “UFO” was spotted moving behind a distant cloud formation), but actually create clouds as a form of camouflage. They use these “cloud cloaks,” he suggests, to get near humans without being noticed, so they can observe us in peace.
