Cloud cover (also known as cloudiness, cloudage or cloud amount) refers to the fraction of the sky obscured by clouds when observed from a particular location. A planet surrounded by cloud cover would become an arctic wasteland while a planet without cloud cover would become a waterless desert where even reptiles are incapable of surviving and thriving (due to an excessive amount of greenhouse gasses and solar radiation that would develop).
Read more about Cloud Cover: Role in The Climate System
Famous quotes containing the words cloud and/or cover:
“On a cloud I saw a child,
And he laughing said to me,
“Pipe a song about a Lamb”;
So I piped with merry chear.
“Piper pipe that song again”—
So I piped, he wept to hear.
“Drop thy pipe thy happy pipe
Sing thy songs of happy chear”;
So I sung the same again
While he wept with joy to hear.”
—William Blake (1757–1827)
“I wouldn’t pray just for a old man that’s dead because he’s all right. If I was to pray, I’d pray for the folks that’s alive and don’t know which way to turn. Grampa here, he ain’t got no more trouble like that. He’s got his job all cut out for him. So cover him up and let him get to it.”
—Nunnally Johnson (1897–1977)