July 17, 2013
The universe has spent billions of years making things that shine. On your birthday, we celebrate one of its quieter masterpieces.
A Waterspout in Florida
Birthday · July 17, 2013
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APOD published July 17, 2013. Credit: Joey Mole. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
What's happening over the water? Pictured above is one of the better images yet recorded of a waterspout, a type of tornado that occurs over water. Waterspouts are spinning columns of rising moist air that typically form over warm water. Waterspouts can be as dangerous as tornadoes and can feature wind speeds over 200 kilometers per hour. Some waterspouts form away from thunderstorms and even during relatively fair weather. Waterspouts may be relatively transparent and initially visible only by an unusual pattern they create on the water. The above image was taken earlier this month near Tampa Bay, Florida. The Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida is arguably the most active area in the world for waterspouts, with hundreds forming each year. Some people speculate that waterspouts are responsible for some of the losses recorded in the Bermuda Triangle.
Image credit: Joey Mole