How Scientists Captured Clouds

Stealing a cloud might sound impossible but scientists actually did it. Back in the 1940s,

researchers figured out how to capture clouds by flying planes directly through them with

special collection nets. They were studying cloud composition to understand weather

patterns better. The water droplets would freeze on impact with the aircraft,

creating ice samples they could analyze on the ground. This cloud theft helped meteorologists

predict rain and storms more accurately. Today we use similar techniques to study pollution and climate

change by literally scooping up pieces of the sky.