Myth vs Reality: The Effects of Clouds on Earth's Temperatures

All programs produced by: Space Telescope Science Institute, Office of Public Outreach

 

All images, illustrations, and videos courtesy of NASA

 

except:

 

·       Cloud illustrations by Marc Lussier, STScI

·       Sea creature illustration copyright The National Library of Israel, Shapell Family Digitization Project and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, _Department of Geography – Historic Cities Research Project

·       Various cloud photos courtesy of Marc Lussier

·       Valley fog photo courtesy of Lucy Albert

·       Clouds time-lapse video courtesy of Ethan Alexander Cook

·       Photo of cumulus clouds over field courtesy of PiccoloNamek, Wikipedia

·       Towering cumulus cloud photo courtesy of Jim W. Lee

·       Noctilucent cloud photo copyright Jan Erik Paulsen 

·       Noctilucent cloud photo courtesy of P-M Hedén, www.clearskies.se, www.twanight.org

 

Music courtesy of Associated Production Music

 

Written by Andrea Gianopoulos

Designed by Marc Lussier

(SPEECH)

[UPBEAT JAZZ MUSIC]

 

(DESCRIPTION)

A blue hexagon appears in the middle of a gray background split into two halves by a line. A banner is outlined in light blue for the title, Myth vs Reality. An illustration with sea serpents surrounding a ship is above Myth. A satellite view of rippled clouds is above reality. A dark, rotating planet floats in the background at the bottom. The Myth side is highlighted. Text, Clouds overhead means a cool day below.

 

The reality side is highlighted. Text, Not all clouds cool Earth's surface, and atmosphere. High, thin cirrus clouds actually have a warming effect. They not only let the majority of the Sun's warming rays pass through, but they also trap heat that would normally escape to space.