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Rudolph - or one of his reindeer mates - has made a fleeting, pre-Christmas appearance over New Zealand.
Weather photographer Alan Blacklock snapped the image, formed in cirrus cloud 9km above the Earth, while sky-watching from his home in Wellington. There was no sign of Santa, sleigh or Christmas presents and the reindeer cloud formation lasted for only 15 seconds.
"These things are quite ephemeral," Mr Blacklock said.
A frequent sky-gazer and photographer for the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Mr Blacklock says he always keeps an eye out for a Santa-shaped cloud at this time of year, but hasn't spotted one yet.
