The most popular theory is that the falling rain and ice transfer a positive charge to even colder cloud particles.

The cloud particles blazed with impatience: a hunger to see us removed.

But scientists studying satellite images have found a far more important effect: the same particles serve as seeds for the formation of cloud particles.

Temperatures hover around or below 80 C. These low temperatures form cloud particles.

Large, non-spherical cloud particles have also been detected in the cloud decks.

Air currents move water vapor around the globe, cloud particles collide, grow, and fall out of the upper atmospheric layers as precipitation.

Detailed studies, mainly by spacecraft, have revealed the existence of at least three types of cloud particle.

Plausible schemes also exist for producing the other constituents of the cloud particles.

Fine drizzles and thin smokes of cloud particles can reach the Cytherean surface.

For the same reason, any cloud particles which settle downwards quickly evaporate.