Could this be a sign of the end times? A vague precursor to human extinction in the approaching year of 2023?

Obviously, it is neither of those dreadful options, for you would have to be silly to believe in all of that. However, despite lacking any apocalyptic relevance, the interesting appeal of this “unusual” cloud formation remains fully undiminished.

I refer to it as “unusual” because I have never seen something like it before. This photo was taken on top of the third-level parking area of the Markle Parking Deck on the morning of Oct. 27, 2022. The elliptical opening amongst the blanket of grayish clouds slightly resembles the shape of a vortex or portal, in which some people might even say that it resembles the shape of a far-away galaxy or some other elliptical object that I cannot think of at the moment.

Another feature of the sky that I find to be kinda cool is the line crossing its view, reminding me of the lighting that the aliens traveled through in the movie “War of the Worlds.”

Overall, you may or may not see it as anything particularly eye-catching, but I hope that it may incentivize more people on campus to look up once in a while and to be more aware of their ever-changing surroundings.

Thank you for your time and attention,

Ethan Riddle ’25