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157 points Helmut10001 | 9 comments | | HN request time: 0.346s | source | bottom
1. jmclnx ◴[] No.43593152[source]
Interesting, the area I live in is expected to get more rain as climate change gets worse. So I would think we would have more cloud cover. But the article is about "reflective clouds".

As I look out my window, I see dark clouds right now as opposed to white fluffy clouds. Will need to note the colors as time goes on for my fully non-scientific surveys :)

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2. goodluckchuck ◴[] No.43593245[source]
Clouds are all the same color. The darkness we see is the shadows from other clouds.
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3. jijijijij ◴[] No.43593448[source]
How come you sometimes see very dark, lonely clouds in blue skies?
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4. belinder ◴[] No.43593497[source]
No, darkness comes from density. The denser the cloud (the more water it contains), the less light can come through, thus it looks darker.
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5. epohs ◴[] No.43593515{3}[source]
Likely because they are tall and tilted in a direction facing the sun, so that the moisture blocks more of the light than it would if the sun was hitting it at a more oblique angle.
6. Rexxar ◴[] No.43593549{3}[source]
Your relative position to the sun and the cloud.
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7. layer8 ◴[] No.43593670[source]
Dark clouds are only dark from below. Look at a satellite feed for comparison.
8. jijijijij ◴[] No.43593963{4}[source]
I am not convinced. This would mean it could only be "blocking" the sun. If anything, it would be atmospheric light reflections blocked. In any case, it's not "other clouds".

I think diffraction has to play a role. Why wouldn't it? Dense, or raining clouds certainly have different water droplet sizes and shapes than fine, fluffy clouds. They may even reflect the ground or sky at some point, I imagine, like the ocean.

9. Jolter ◴[] No.43594055{3}[source]
Even very dense rain clouds look perfectly white from above. They all reflect light back into space.