Van Gogh’s influence as an artist is so profound that people often travel far and wide just to experience his masterpieces in person. But for some Canadians, it felt like Van Gogh came to them instead.
On Wednesday, October 9, a Facebook user shared images of the morning sky in Ottawa, and the scene looked strikingly similar to Van Gogh‘s iconic Starry Night painting. The sky was blanketed in soft, rippling waves of grey clouds, with beams of light peeking through, creating sharp contrasts between the lighter and darker shades of grey.
See the viral post:
A Facebook user named Ann Martin shared some photos with the caption, “Earlier this evening in Byward…..felt like I was in a Van Gogh painting.” The post quickly went viral, garnering over 200,000 likes and nearly 5,000 comments.
One user wrote, “Just saw something about this yesterday cos that look like cotton mean high level turbulence and tornadoes.” Another user said, “It looks like the stary night painting minus the stars.” A third user commented, “Asperitas clouds! Also known as Undulatus Asperatus, these are a newly recognised type of cloud formation. Not mammatus!”
Another user wrote, “Not sure if anyone else zoomed in on the clouds. It looks like a two hands holding another hand praying. What a beautiful picture. Maybe it’s the thousands being prayed over our country right now through these disasters.”
What are Asperitas clouds?
It is a rare cloud formation that resembles waves of a rough sea. It was officially added to the International Cloud Atlas in 2017, according to CBC. These clouds are often seen around thunderstorms. However, scientists aren’t entirely sure how they form.
The unique, wavy appearance makes these clouds stand out in the sky, and they’ve been observed before and after stormy weather.
