Snow are able to grow to hundreds of micrometers or millimeters in size at the expense of the water droplets by the Wegener–Bergeron–Findeisen process. The corresponding depletion of water vapor causes the ice crystals to grow at the droplets' expense. These large crystals are an efficient source of precipitation, since they fall through the atmosphere due to their mass, and may collide and stick together in clusters, or aggregates. These aggregates are snowflakes, and are usually the type of ice particle that falls to the ground. Although the ice is clear, scattering of light by the crystal facets and hollows/imperfections mean
Extraterrestrial atmosphere also been observed in the atmosphere of HD 189733 b, another hot gas giant planet. In October 2013, the detection of clouds in the atmosphere of Kepler-7b was announced, and, in December 2013, also in the atmospheres of Gliese 436 b and Gliese 1214 b. In April 2017, an atmosphere was confirmed around Gliese 1132 b. It is the most Earth-like exoplanet to date that is known to have an atmosphere. In May 2017, glints of light from Earth, seen as twinkling from an orbiting satellite a million miles away, were found to be reflected light from ice crystals in