A "cloud angel" was spotted over South Florida on Wednesday March 13, the same day Jorge Mario Bergoglio was named pope, resulting in claims that the formation was made through divine intent.
Pictures of the cloud soon arrived at WPTV in West Palm Beach.
"Wow, I wonder if Pope Francis ordered that!" wrote Thom George on WPTV's Facebook page.
"The Pope asked to pray for Him ... God answered," wrote Cat Sunn.
While some saw the cloud as a sign of divine endorsement of the selection of Pope Francis, other saw different figures, including sea monkeys and even the dark lord Lucifer.
"It is difficult to be definitive about what the formation is without knowing what went before," said photo gallery editor for the Cloud Appreciation Society Ian Loxley in an email. "It could be Cirrus if high enough; however, it appears to be lower than the background Altocumulus which is the teaser. My best shot would be a virga remnant from an aircraft contrail."
"Sorry not to be able to give an absolute answer," he wrote. "It is, however, a very interesting capture that would sit nicely in our 'Clouds That Look Like Things' section of the gallery."
The Cloud Appreciation Society's galleries display a variety of cloud formations, including dolphins, doves, witches, UFOS and angels.
It is not uncommon for humans to recognize patterns or faces in everyday objects: a function known as pareidolia. The recognition is caused by the high degree to which our brains are built to recognize humanlike patterns. The word "pareidolia" derives from the Greek and translates to "wrong shape." Other instances of pareidolia include Mickey Mouse on Mercury, the Face on Mars and the "Old Man of the Mountain" in New Hampshire.
Wednesday's cloud angel is unlikely to have been a hoax, given that WPTV received images from sources in several different locations. While some see the cloud as a heavenly symbol, others see it as merely scientific coincidence.
