Final answer:
Altostratus clouds are mid-level, gray or blue-gray clouds that cover the sky like a sheet, often indicating the approach of steady precipitation or a weather front.
Step-by-step explanation:
Altostratus clouds are a type of cloud typically found at mid-levels of the atmosphere. These clouds are generally gray or blue-gray in color and cover the sky in a sheet-like formation, often bringing steady rain or snow. Unlike the vivid cloud activity seen on planets such as Jupiter and Saturn, altostratus clouds on Earth appear more uniform and are composed mostly of water droplets, although they may also contain ice crystals at colder temperatures.
The presence of altostratus often indicates the approach of a weather front and can be a precursor to more severe weather conditions like thunderstorms, which cause changes in the aesthetics of the sky just as they do in literary descriptions of stormy weather.