weather

Peter Lowenstein captured this rare rainbow pileus cloud, which was later picked up by NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day.

Weather experts are gathering at the World Meteorological Organisation later this month to discuss ultra-short lasers as a promising tool for weather modulation and climate studies. Launching these lasers into the atmosphere could potentially control lightning and also assist in cloud production and rainfall. Researchers have begun testing the equipment outside, by firing short pulses of laser light at the sky.