Atmospheric beasts (also sky beasts or sky critters) are organisms which could hypothetically exist off of the surface of Earth or other planets with an atmosphere. These could fly (or float) without wings as they weigh less than air. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... The eight planets and three dwarf planets of the Solar System. ... View of Jupiters active atmosphere, including the Great Red Spot. ... Flight is the process by which an object achieves sustained movement either through the air by aerodynamically generating lift or aerostatically using buoyancy, or movement beyond earths atmosphere, in the case of spaceflight. ... A Laughing Gull with its wings extended in a gull wing profile Aircraft wing planform shapes: a swept wing KC-10 Extender (top) refuels a trapezoid-wing F/A-22 Raptor A wing is a surface used to produce lift and therefore flight, for travel in the air or another... The expression lighter than air refers to objects, usually aircraft, that are buoyant in air because they have an average density that is less than that of air (usually because they contain gases that have a density that is lower than that of air). ...

In science fiction

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

The Horror of the Heights

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle anticipated these ideas in his short story "The Horror of the Heights", where an airman discovers a previously unknown ecosystem of life forms in Earth's atmosphere. Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... The original Wikisource logo. ... Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a Scottish born author most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction, and the adventures of Professor Challenger. ... A coral reef near the Hawaiian islands is an example of a complex marine ecosystem. ...

"Goldfish Bowl" is a 1942 short story by Robert A. Heinlein dealing with the theme. Goldfish Bowl is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein, first published 1942, and collected in one of Heinleins anthologies, The Menace from Earth. ... Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was one of the most popular, influential, and controversial authors of hard science fiction. ...

A sentient variation of the atmospheric beast, the Slylandro, is portrayed in the Star Control series of computer games. The Slylandro are a fictional race of beings featured in the sci-fi Star Control computer game series. ... The Star Control series is a trilogy of computer games with a cult following. ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ...

Another example of this type of life-form is found in Iain M. Banks’ The Algebraist. They are also featured in several science-fiction works of Arthur C. Clarke, which include his short story, A Meeting with Medusa and the novel 2010: Odyssey Two, as well as in the James Tiptree, Jr novel Up the Walls of the World. In Kenneth Oppel's Airborn, there is a previously undiscovered species of flying mammals named "cloud cats", who live their entire lives completely in the air. Iain Menzies Banks (born on February 16, 1954 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland) writes mainstream novels as Iain Banks and science fiction as Iain M. Banks. ... The Algebraist, a science fiction novel by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks, first appeared in print in 2004. ... Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (born December 16, 1917) is a British science-fiction author and inventor, most famous for his novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, and for collaborating with director Stanley Kubrick on the film of the same name. ... A Neeting with Medusa is a science fiction novella by Arthur C. Clarke. ... 2010: Odyssey Two, is a science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke (January 1982) and also a motion picture (1984) by Peter Hyams entitled simply 2010, or sometimes 2010: The Year We Make Contact. ... James Tiptree, Jr. ... Up the Walls of the World. ... Airborn is a novel by Kenneth Oppel. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the production of milk in female mammary glands and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in...

In Popular Culture

The Pokémon Rayquaza may have been based on this concept. The official Pokémon logo. ... Rayquaza ) is one of the 493 fictional species of Pokémon creatures from the multi-billion-dollar[1] Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. ...

In Master of Orion III, such as the Eoladi are floating creatures of similar concept. Master of Orion III (MOO3, MoO3, MOOIII, MoOIII) is the third computer game in the Master of Orion series. ...

The Japanese science fiction film Dogora features such a creature. Dogora or Dagora, the Space Monster, released in Japan as Uchū Daikaijū Dogora lit. ...

Ulyaoth from Eternal Darkness may have been based on this creature.

In the Computer game Starcraft, several Zerg units could be seen as Atmospheric beasts, such as the Overlord, Queen, Guardian, and Destroyer, although some other fliers have wings. StarCraft is a real-time strategy game by Blizzard Entertainment. ... A Zerg Hydralisk The Zerg are a vaguely insectoid race in the StarCraft universe. ...

In astrobiological speculation

Carl Sagan has said that this kind of animal could live in the atmosphere of a gas giant, such as Jupiter. Illustrations of atmospheric beasts have frequently appeared in books and exhibiting speculation as to the exotic forms extraterrestrial life might take. Descriptions of this sort often portray these beings as living balloons, filled with lighter than air gasses. Insert non-formatted text here Carl Edward Sagan (November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer and astrobiologist and a highly successful popularizer of astronomy, astrophysics, and other natural sciences. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Adjectives: Jovian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 20–200 kPa[4] (cloud layer) Composition: ~86% Molecular hydrogen ~13% Helium 0. ... “Green people” redirects here. ... Balloons, like greeting cards or flowers, are given for special occasions. ...

A hypothetical, extraterrestrial atmospheric beast is featured on the cover of Extraterrestrials: A Field Guide for Earthlings.

In UFO and cryptid lore

Ufologists and cryptozoologists have theorized about the existence of biological UFOs, citing photos and observations of sightings that resemble living beings more than machined craft. The controversial substance called "star jelly" is alleged by some to be composed of the bodies of dead atmospheric beasts. Atmospheric beasts are speculated by some as interdimensional beings, able to pop in and out of existence in a manner similar to ghosts, while they are thought by others to be fully natural biological organisms that are related genetically to terrestrial life and are built like jellyfish of the air, or that they may be alien life forms that are native to outer space itself rather than to any particular planet (extra-atmospheric). Atmospheric beasts are almost never considered to be the same sort of creature as rods, mainly because of the obvious differences in description: atmospheric beasts are hardly ever considered to be invisible to the naked eye, and atmospheric beasts are generally described as far larger than the biggest rods. Since atmospheric beasts are not described as being only visible in film, it would be nearly impossible to explain them as camera artifacts; Atmospheric beasts also have a longer history, while rods are a recent fad. Ufology is the study of unidentified flying object (UFO) reports, sightings, alleged physical evidence, and other related phenomena. ... Cryptozoology is the search for animals that are rumored to exist, but for which conclusive proof is missing. ... A Shadow battlecrab from Babylon 5 A bioship is a type of spacecraft described in science fiction. ... Star Jelly, or Pwdre Ser, is a compound supposedly deposited on the earth during meteor showers. ... A multiverse (or meta-universe) is the hypothetical set of multiple possible universes (including our universe) that together comprise all of physical reality. ... An artists rendering of a ghostly woman on a flight of stairs A ghost is usually defined as the apparition of a deceased person, frequently similar in appearance to that person, and encountered in places he or she frequented, or in association with the persons former belongings. ... Orders Stauromedusae Coronatae Semaeostomeae Rhizostomae Jellyfish are marine invertebrates belonging to the Scyphozoan class. ... “Green people” redirects here. ... Layers of Atmosphere - not to scale (NOAA)[1] Outer space, sometimes simply called space, refers to the relatively empty regions of the universe outside the atmospheres of celestial bodies. ... Rods, a rather new entry in the field of Cryptozoology, are creatures said to flit about in the air at such a high speed as to not be seen by the naked eye. ...

References

Ivan Terrance Sanderson (January 30, 1911 – February 19, 1973) was a naturalist and writer born in Edinburgh, Scotland. ...

See also

• Bioship
• Extremophiles

A Shadow battlecrab from Babylon 5 A bioship is a type of spacecraft described in science fiction. ... An extremophile is an organism, usually unicellular, which thrives in or requires extreme conditions. ...

External links

• On the Track of the Gelatinous Meteor
• The Cryptid Zoo: Atmospheric Beasts

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