| Cloud Giant | |
|---|---|
 A photograph of the figure | |
| Background | |
| Type | Being |
| Continent | Europe |
| Country | In the skies over Europe-Austria to London Gatwick |
| One-Time? | Yes |
| Theories | · Giant robot · Smokestack plumes · Optical illusion · A Michelin Man-type entity |
The Cloud Giant is a massive humanoid-shaped figure photographed in January of 2016 by Irish software support team manager Nick O’Donoghue while aboard a commercial flight en route to Gatwick Airport from a ski trip in Austria. At approximately 30,000 feet, O’Donoghue noticed an enormous, human-like silhouette suspended above the cloud layer and captured a photograph before it vanished from view. Since its release online, the image has fueled extensive debate over whether the figure represents a rare atmospheric illusion, an unidentified aerial phenomenon, or something more anomalous.
Appearance[]
The entity appears as a colossal humanoid figure seemingly walking or standing atop dense cloud formations. Its proportions resemble those of a human, but at an impossible scale, with a thick torso, rounded limbs, and a faintly segmented silhouette. The form lacks visible facial detail but is distinctly bipedal and upright, giving the strong impression of a “giant” rather than a random vapor shape.
Possible Explanations[]
Several explanations have been proposed to account for the image. Skeptical interpretations suggest the figure may be an optical illusion caused by overlapping cloud strata, forced perspective, or industrial smokestack plumes distorted by altitude and lighting conditions. More speculative theories include the possibility of an experimental high-altitude drone or even an enormous humanoid machine.
A speculative framework proposed in the upcoming book Inflated Visitors: 70+ True Accounts of the Bibendum Entity by author & researcher Angelo Ramsey suggests that the so-called Cloud Giant may belong to a wider class of anomalous sightings involving the so-called Bibendum Entity: a recurring Michelin-man-like form reported across dozens of unrelated cases worldwide. In these accounts, witnesses consistently describe a pale, segmented, humanoid figure capable of sustained aerial flotation, sometimes at extreme altitudes, matching several key visual and behavioral aspects of the Cloud Giant photograph.
Notable Encounters[]
I was flying back from a work ski trip in Austria, I was on the window seat with two work colleges beside me. They were talking like crazy and I was gazing out the window, as you do. I could see this figure in the distance in front of us and then as we flew closer this shape appeared. I asked the ladies beside me to look at it too in case I was seeing things. They too were amazed! I then took some pictures and then the aircraft slowly passed it. It was in view for about two minutes as it was a good bit away in the distance. To me it looked like the Michelin man but to be honest I have no idea what it was. Some comments online said it was smoke stacks below and the heat from them pushed up the layer of clouds, but I don't think so as they looked very close together. Probably just a funky cloud formation but I'd love for someone who knows about clouds to see it and try and explain. - Nick O'Donoghue [sic] (dailymail.co.uk)
Trivia[]
- Many online commentators noted that the Cloud Giant closely resembles the titular robot from the 1999 animated science-fiction film The Iron Giant due to its towering humanoid outline. O’Donoghue himself has stated that the figure reminded him of Bibendum, the iconic mascot of the tire manufacturer Michelin—a comparison that later fueled connections to the so-called Bibendum Entity in cryptozoological and Fortean communities.
Gallery[]
Photo Gallery[]
