To start the New Year, we have selected a once-in-a-lifetime cloud spot of rare ‘halo phenomena’ over over Huntsville, Alabama, US, by Jane George…
See January’s Cloud of the Month…

Spain’s First International Conference of Cloudspotters took place at the end of October 2012 at the beautiful School Farm of Barreiros (Granxa Escola de Barreiros) in Galicia in the northwest of Spain. Organised by Germán Díaz (CAS Member 28232), Siña Fernández and Fernando Fuentes, the conference was attended by 80 cloudspotters from far and wide.

There was a great range of talks, including TV weather presenter and meteorologist Martín Barreiro explaining cloud formation, weather photography expert Elías Cueto on how to photograph the sky, anthropologist Luís Díaz Viana on the role of clouds in historical folk tales and contemporary urban legends, Marcos Alvarez Merinero from the European Space Agency on the observation of clouds from Space, and Elena Lapeña, Professor of Fine Arts at the University of Vigo, on the roles of clouds throughout the history of painting. Gavin Pretor-Pinney, founder of The Cloud Appreciation Society, couldn’t be there in person but this didn’t stop him from officially opening the event. He was beamed onto the screen via Skype to welcome the crowd and give a talk about the importance of cloudspotting, and why it is good for the soul.

Running over two days, the conference also included an evening concert by The Cardiophonic Method entitled ‘The heartbeat of clouds and other melodies’, and an exhibition of cloud art by Ignacio López. There were even rides in a balloon and a paratrike for those who wanted to do some close-up cloudspotting.

The conference was well covered in the Spanish newspapers (e.g. El Progreso, El Mundo, El Correo Gallego), radio and television (e.g. RTVE, Televisión de Galicia).

• Los expertos afirman que observar las nubes es bueno para la salud

 
 

Society founder, Gavin Pretor-Pinney has donated a signed copy of The Cloudspotter’s Handbook and a Society calendar to The Intellegent Optimist who are aiming to raise $100,000 to support their new program of publications, events and courses designed to feature the ideas and thinkers that are moving the world in the direction of greater possibility in arenas like peace, sustainability, spiritual evolution and holistic health.

If you would like to enter a bid for this cause, please see their website

Carlos Bueno, owner of the hotel Aire de Bardenas in Spain has offered a special price to members of the Cloud Appreciation Society in the form of a 20% discount on all rooms.

The hotel is situated in the north of Spain, near the French border a 90 minute drive into the desert of Bardenas. It is a beautiful desert, the biggest in Europe and is a Natural Park and Biosphere Reserve. The northwest wind, The Cierzo, blows across the desert creating a diverse range of clouds.

You can visit the hotel website here. They also have a Facebook album with more than 80 images of the clouds as seen from the desert and their hotel here

Artist Christopher Jonassen has done a series of photos of clouds and cloudspotters seeing them from each other’s point of view. You can see them here on his webiste.

Our new Cloud of the Month is a dramatic lenticularis cloudscape photographed by Jacob Krynauw over the Torres del Paine mountains in Chile.
See November’s Cloud of The Month…

Julia Austin recently sent us a link to this article by Carlos Miller of Photography is Not A Crime.

The next time you’re photographing clouds, make sure those clouds aren’t hovering over a location that’s considered “sensitive”. National Weather Service volunteer Michael Galindo learned this lesson last month after pulling over to the side of the road near Houston to snap a photo of storm clouds brewing in the distance (shown above). Problem was, between Galindo and the clouds sat the Lyondell Refinery.

Carlos Miller of Photography is Not A Crime reports that someone at the refinery spotted Galindo photographing the scene, and contacted the local police department.

By the time the summoned officers arrived, Galindo had already left the location… so the police called the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Imagine the look on Galindo’s face this past Friday, when the FBI arrived on his doorstep to question him about his activities. Luckily for Galindo — a 26-year-old man with a squeaky clean police record — FBI agent David Pileggi was satisfied with his explanation after a 20-minute questioning, and simply left with a warning to “be careful next time.”

You can see the original article here

We’re a little late this month, but here is October’s Cloud of The Month…

Society founder, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, will be giving an illustrated clouds talk this Thursday evening (11 October, 2012) in Richmond Upon Thames, Greater London, UK. ‘Taking to the Skies’ will work as a tour of the sky that will educate, entertain and enthral. Gavin will show you how to distinguish the different cloud formations, from the common Cumulus to the rare and fleeting Kelvin-Helmholtz wave cloud. He will explain why clouds have always been such an inspiration to poets and playwrights and he will argue that finding shapes in the clouds is the perfect antidote to the stresses of modern life.

Venue: Duke Street Church, Richmond, TW9 1DH
Date: Thursday 11 October 2012
Time: From 7pm
Ticket Price: £10
Book tickets from The Environment Trust for Richmond upon Thames

Following last week’s news report in USA Today, interest in the ‘asperatus cloud’ has been reignited. This is a cloud formation that we first noticed back in 2006 when some photographs were sent in to the Society photo gallery from a formation over Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Since it looks wavy, the cloud could be described as an ‘undulatus’ formation, but we felt this cloud and the many similar that have been sent in to us since is distinctive enough from the run-of-the-mill undulatus that it should have a name of its own. So we went ahead and gave it one.

If you have spotted an example of this cloud, and you have a photograph with an accurate date, time and location we would love if you could email the image to us so that we can add it up to the society photo gallery. The more examples we have of this cloud formation, the stronger our case for the term being made official.

There is nothing new about the cloud formation itself, but we feel that it does warrant a new name, since it doesn’t easily fit within the existing terms. Our proposed name, ‘asperatus’, comes from the Latin word for ‘roughened’, because the cloud looks rather like a choppy, rough sea. The term is now in common usage, but it will only become official it it is included in the World Meteorological Organisation official cloud classification manual, The International Cloud Atlas. The last edition they published was back in 1975, but there are rumours that the UN organisation is considering the case for publishing a new edition. If this goes ahead, we will be lobbying for asperatus to be included. It would be the first new cloud term to be added to the classification system for 60 years.

> Read more about the asperatus cloud here…
> See examples of asperatus on the Society photo gallery here…
> See a piece about asperatus on The Weather Channel here…
> And if you think you might have photographed one, please email us your photo — and please try to include the most accurate date, time and location of the sighting that you can.

The weather channel recently did a report on the Asperatus cloud. You can see it here

We are now selling membership to The Cloud Appreciation Society through our Cloud Shop, rather than the separate system that we have been using for the past few years. This means that it is now possible to buy a membership in the shop at the same time as other items. Previously, you had to make two separate purchases. Which was a bit annoying.

Hopefully, everything is now working OK but you can contact us at membership@cloudappreciationsociety.org if you have any questions regarding joining the society.

Cloud Appreciation Society membership on the Cloud Shop…

For some time now, we have been wondering when the time would come that the Society appeared on Japanese daytime TV. Finally, it has happened. The only problem is that we have no idea what they are saying…

Watch The Cloud Appreciation Society on Oha!4 Life…

Our Cloudspotting Wall Calendar for 2013 features some of our favourite photographs of clouds that look like things taken by members of The Cloud Appreciation Society. There are clouds in the shape of animals, hearts, faces, flying saucers and much more, almost all of which starred in our recent book, Clouds That Look Like Things. It makes a beautiful gift for anyone with their head in the clouds, and we’ll even add in a hand-written gift message of your choice.
See the Cloudspotting Wall Calendar on our Cloud Shop…

Our beautiful new window sticker is the latest addition to the Cloud Shop. Now you can let the whole world know you are a cloudspotter! Or at least the person in the car behind you.
See the CAS window sticker here…

This month, we have chosen a display of mamma clouds over Poland. See August’s Cloud of the Month…

 
We are very excited to be heading over to Sligo in the northwest of Ireland this weekend for Ireland’s Second International Cloud Festival on the 27–29th July. The festival is organised by Hans Wieland and our friends at the Irish Cloud Appreciation Society.
The events, which are listed in the the festival programme, include an illustrated introduction to cloudspotting by Cloud Appreciation Society founder, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, cloud-inspired painting and poetry workshops and a talk by Gerry
Murphy, weather forecaster at the Irish meteorological office, Met Eireann.

Anyone interested in coming along can find out more on the Irish Cloud Appreciation Society site, read the festival programme and buy tickets here…

Here are a couple of Hans’s photos of Sligo clouds:

   

We are very pleased to announce that ‘The Weather Observer’s Handbook’ by Stephen Burt is published today. The handbook provides a comprehensive, practical and independent guide to all aspects of making weather observations. It is ideal for both amateur observers looking for help in choosing their first weather instruments on a tight budget and for professional observers looking for a comprehensive and up-to-date guide.

Stephen Burt has been a long-time member of the Cloud Appreciation Society, and has been generous enough to help us with meteorological advice for several of our own books. His is a comprehensive and rigororous guide to weather observing, that also happens to be an entertaining read, and will make a great addition to any cloudspotter’s bookshelf.

If you would like to buy a copy, you can do so from the bookseller links below. Alternatively, you can buy it directly from Cambridge University Press at a 20% discount: In the UK, download the 20% discount flyer and post it with a cheque; in the US, vist www.cambridge.org/us/9781107026810 and enter the discount code: E2BURT.

UK booksellers:
www.amazon.co.uk/Weather-Observers-Handbook-Stephen-Burt/dp/1107662281
http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/stephen+burt/the+weather+observer27s+handbook/8945909/

US booksellers:
http://www.amazon.com/Weather-Observers-Handbook-Stephen-Burt/dp/1107662281
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-weather-observers-handbook-stephen-burt/1109151482?ean=9781107026810

Australia and New Zealand (publication date September 2012):
http://www.cambridge.org/aus/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9781107026810

Cambridge University Press (linked worldwide sites):
http://www.cambridge.org/gb/knowledge/isbn/item6796421/?site_locale=en_GB
http://www.cambridge.org/aus/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9781107026810

Have you ever felt the need for a more substantial badge than the one you received when you became a member of The Cloud Appreciation Society? Ever felt the need for one that is a little more fancy, a little more showy to tell others of your membership to this most ethereal of societies? Then you will be pleased to hear that we are now selling beautiful new Enamel Member Badges in our Cloud Shop. New members will still get the standard badges when they join but, in due course, we will add an option for them to buy one of these fancy badges at the same time.

See our new Cloud Appreciation Society Enamel Membership Badge here…

Johnn Schroeder of Buffalo, Minnesota spotted this article entitled “Cloud House billows from anassuming Edwardian Home”.

Project architects McBridge Charles Ryan (MCR) have created a ‘cloud’ extension to the original property situated in the Fitzroy North suburb of Melbourne, Australia, which contains a kitchen, dining room and conservatory.

There are some very interesting pictures of both the inside and outside here.

This month, we’ve chosen a pleasing mixed sky over the Netherlands by Math Gossens. Click here to see the: Cloud of the Month for July.

We have decided to do battle with Amazon and all the other online booksellers, as we are now selling copies of all three of our cloud books on the Cloud Shop. The one difference we offer is that you can have the books signed by society founder, Gavin Pretor-Pinney. You can even have his sign it for someone else and include a message of your choice. This makes them the perfect gift for cloudspotters, young and old.

We were recenlty filmed out cloudspotting with Ron Westmass, Cloud Appreciation Society Member Number 4451, for the German TV international arts and culture show, Euromaxx. Click on the image below to watch the clip on the Deutsche Welle website (ours is the first item in the programme):

The WeatherNet desktop calendar is distributed to clients and friends and contains weather related images from keen photographers. For more information and for a chance to have your photograph appear in next year’s calendar, please submit your photos online here. The winning entry will receive £100, with further prizes for all selected photographs. Best of luck!

Two of our members, Dr Alexander Robertson and Daphne Gleadhill recently told us about this giant bird-shaped cloud which had appeared in the south Iceland sky.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office stated that Altocumulus had been noticed in the area during the day, and speculated whether this formation might have resulted from this.

Cloud Appreciation Society founder, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, is very excited to be giving an illustrated clouds talk at the first ever Words in The Park festival that is taking place over the weekend of 19-20 May in London’s beautiful Holland Park.

The talk will take place in the marquee for Opera Holland Park, which is situated right in the middle of this small and perfectly formed city park. Gavin will be giving a crash course in cloudspotting, showing some of the many different types of cloud formation, as well as showing some of the best clouds that look like things sent in by members of the Cloud Appreciation Society, some of which appear in our new book ‘Clouds That Look Like Things‘.

This will be a great opportunity for London members to get together. Gavin will be around after the talk, and would love to meet any Society members who come up to say hello. He will also be signing copies of all the Cloud Appreciation Society books, which will be available at the event.

Gavin Pretor-Pinney: an illustrated talk about clouds
2.30pm Saturday 19 May
Words in the Park
at Opera Holland Park, Holland Park, London
Box Office: 0300 999 1000 (Monday–Friday, 10am–6pm)
Book tickets online here…

We are fast approaching a new milestone in the development of the society: 30,000 members. But we have also just past another. The number of people who “like” the Cloud Appreciation Society Facebook Page has just exceeded 10,000. It is always nice to know about fellow cloudspotters so we thought visitors might like an insight into the average age and sex of the people who like the Facebook page. It seems that most likes come from users in the 35-44 age range, with a greater proportion of these being female than male:

We wish we could give you a similarly fancy graphic of the ages and sexes of the actual members of the society but we are not that sophisitcated.
The Cloud Appreciation Society Facebook page is a good place to find out about our upcoming cloud events, as well as seeing some fantastic cloud images uploaded to the page by Facebook users:
Visit the Cloud Appreciation Society Facebook Page…

On Saturday 5 May, we were invited onto BBC Breakfast to chat about the Society’s new book, ‘Clouds That Look Like Things’. The BBC invited viewers to send in thier own photographs of clouds in the shape of things. Amongst the many great photos sent in was a great one of Margaret Thatcher. As is always the case on TV, they had very little time to show them. We could them on the presenter’s little computer screen, and wish they’d been able to show more. Many thanks to any members who took the trouble to send in their images.
Of course, you can always see the latest Clouds that Look Like Things on our gallery pages.

It is the start of a new month, and the end of another day:
Go to Cloud of The Month for May…

Artists Rob and Nick Carter recently contacted us about their latest body of work. It plays on the transient nature of light and form and, they say, also creates a dialogue about the ephermeral aspect of art. The Carters have created their own coloured clouds which continues their preoccupation with light and colour and is achieved by a unique action photography that captures paint pigment spontaneously thrown into the air, juxtaposed against the blue sky as if it were dancing in space.

For those who have come to our site as a result of hearing about our new Clouds That Look Like Things book, here is where we post these images along with all the other cloud lookalikes that we receive: clouds that look like things on the the CAS photo gallery…

It’s a beautiful example of ‘cloud iridescence’ and you can see it here:
April’s Cloud of the Month…

This was spotted on the National Geographic Daily News website with a story entitled “NASA Rockets Make Weird Clouds Near Edge of Space”.
The effect is caused as chemicals react with water and oxygen in the atmosphere to create the milky white clouds and were visible to both scientists and public in the clear morning skies along the US Northeast coast.

Amanda Murphy discovered this LP whilst at work. It is by British songwriter Graham de Wilde and is aptly named ‘Clouds’

We haven’t heard it and it’s currently out of print but maybe one to look out for. If you have a copy why not leave a comment and let us know what you think?

Storm Dunlop, the distinguished author and weather photographer – and Cloud Appreciation Society Member No. 0030 – mentioned us in a short piece for Oxford Univeristy Press about the public’s difficulty in remembering the names of clouds. The piece was to mark World Meteorology Day (23 March). How many members of the general public, for instance, can name the cloud shown here on the right? Perhaps, not many.

But for members of the Cloud Appreciation Society, naming these familiar high clouds is a doddle. You can see the answer at the bottom of Storm’s piece. But how many know the name of the optical effects that appear as spots of light on either side of the base of the photograph, and are caused by the sunlight passing through the ice crystals of the clouds (answer here)?

Read Storm Dunlop’s blog entry here…

Cloud Appreciation Society member, Peter Kaiser from Vienna sent us this link to stunning indoor clouds that were created by artist Berndnaut Smilde. He uses smoke machines combined with lighting and interior atmospheric conditions along with meticulous experimentation to create these results. He told Gizmag “I wanted to make the image of a typical Dutch raincloud inside a space”.

Musician Brian Spence released his new album On the Mend on January 3rd 2012. We think that the cover photograpy is spectacular. It is an image of crepuscular rays and was taken by Angela Craggs.

We have teamed up with our friends at WeatherVideoHD.tv to bring you a beautiful new DVD of stunning time-lapse cloud sequences, which is called ‘A Fantasia for Clouds’. Not only are the clouds relaxing and mesmerising to watch, the time-lapse sped-up photography reveals a great deal about the way that cloud forms develop and mutate. Set to a beautiful musical score, and featuring many rare and unusual formations, the DVD is just what a cloudspotter needs when the sky outside is just a featureless Altostratus or a cloudless blue.
Buy ‘A Fantasia for Clouds’ from The Cloud Shop…

Tomorrow (on Wendesday 7 March) society founder, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, will be giving an illustrated talk about clouds at a literary festival in the Lake District, in the north of England. Part of the Words By The Water festival that is taking place this week in Keswick, Cumbria, the talk will be a guide to spotting clouds. It will teach you to distinguish your Cumulus cloud from your horseshoe vortex cloud, but will also explore one of the greatest pleasures of cloudspotting, finding shapes in the clouds. This aimless pastime was appreciated by one-time Keswick resident, the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge: “O! it is pleasant,” he wrote in 1819, “with a heart at ease / Just after sunset, or by moonlight skies, / To make the shifting clouds be what you please”.

Gavin would love to say hello to any cloudspotters who happen to be in the area and free to come along on Wednesday afternoon.

Cloudspotting by Gavin Pretor-Pinney
Wednesday 7 March, 5.15pm
Theatre By The Lake, Lakeside, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 5DJ.
Ticket price: £7.50
Box Office: 017687 74411
Or go to the Theatre By The Lake website and scroll down to find the talk under “Gavin Pretor-Pinney” to buy a ticket online.

A stunning fog formation on the coast of Florida, US, is our Cloud of the Month for March. This dramatic wave effect made media headlines around the world. Well done to photographer, J.R. Hott, for capturing such a rare and beautiful formation.
You can see the March Cloud of the Month here.