© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

An Astronaut Asks: What Does This Cloud Look Like?

The image comes from Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who gained fans last year when he he tweeted photos from the International Space Station, along with his refreshingly wide-eyed excitement at being in orbit.

Hadfield tweeted an image of an unusually shaped cloud with a question: "We all see faces & familiar shapes in clouds, even astronauts looking from above. Do you see what I see?"

The responses poured in, with many people referring to E.T. and the need to phone home. But other suggestions also had traction.

A Google Image search, which finds similar images to one submitted to its search engine, favored two images of cats' faces. The search results included Yoda and a manatee. And proving you can't predict what the Internet will do next, other suggestions ranged from legendary British TV series Blackadder and the HBO show Game of Thrones -- to a photo of Fresh Air host Terry Gross.

Hadfield took the photo from space; a similar image is on a global map of his pictures, says Dave MacLean, who created the map last year.

What do you think?

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Bill Chappell is a writer and editor on the News Desk in the heart of NPR's newsroom in Washington, D.C.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content