Monstrous ‘eye’ seen staring out of Pacific Ocean in satellite image, scientists say

A satellite panning the North Pacific this week picked up something strange at the center of a cloud formation: A huge eye.

It was spotted south of Alaska on Feb. 13 and posted on Facebook by scientists at the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) in Wisconsin.

“Anyone else see a whale’s eye and face within the very large low over the North Pacific Ocean today?” CIMSS wrote.

“Incredible detail in this enhanced water vapor image seems to reveal an eye glancing out sideways from the center of the storm approaching Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.”

No explanation was offered, leaving it up to the viewer to debate the possibilities.

The photo — which has been shared by cryptozoology and mythology Facebook groups — shows the “eye” was encircled by a miles-wide swirl of clouds at the center of the storm.

“I’m just seeing an awesome cyclone,” one man commented on Facebook.

The eye was seen in a cloud formation scientists refer to as the “eye of the storm.” Such eyes are typically the quiet center of rotating storm winds.

“All tropical cyclones ... have spinning bands of wind and rain. At the center, there’s a calm spot called the eye,” Science News for Students reports.

“Surrounding the eye are the strongest storms of the hurricane or cyclone — the eyewall. The eyewall gets its name because the clouds often pile up higher around the eye. This creates a wall of clouds around the eye when the storm is seen from above.”

CIMSS has satellites across the globe, providing “real time” data over the world’s most populated areas.

This story was originally published February 16, 2022 at 6:29 AM with the headline "Monstrous ‘eye’ seen staring out of Pacific Ocean in satellite image, scientists say."