Raindrop Shape Diagram
![PMM Image PMM Related Image](/sites/default/files/imageGallery/rain-drop-shape-diagram_1.gif)
Image Caption
An illustration of how raindrops change shape as they fall towards the ground.
Not all raindrops are created equal. The size of falling raindrops depends on several factors, including where the cloud producing the drops is located on the globe and where the drops originate in the cloud. For the first time, scientists have three-dimensional snapshots of raindrops and snowflakes around the world from space, thanks to the joint NASA and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission.