1 EAGLETON NOTES: A Cloud

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Tuesday 31 January 2023

A Cloud

Yesterday morning I looked out of my kitchen window early morning and saw a strange cloud. I wandered through the small conservatory to the door and took a photo with my phone.  I was busy and gave it no more thought until a bit later when I realised I had just witnessed an unusual phenomena: a Nacreous ("mother of pearl") cloud. The irony is that my SLR with a far more suitable telephoto lens was on the table within easy reach had I realised what I was witnessing. C'est la vie. For all that it was a splendid sight.



48 comments:

  1. Thank you, Jill. The more I look at it the more I realise how fortunate I was to see such a phenomenan.

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  2. A mother of pearl cloud...that is indeed a very lovely thing to see. Thanks very much for getting that photo and showing it to us! I have a book called "The Cloud Collector's Handbook". (My English mother-in-law had the same book and I loved it, so we got a copy also.) I will have to go and look up the mother of pearl cloud! I have never seen one before but I have on your blog!

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    1. Thanks. Kay. I didn't do a write up on it because I though quite a few people might like to look it up. You are unlikely ever to see one in Georgia for many reasons.

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  3. I had read about it just recently but your photo shows what a wonder it really is.

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    1. Yes, JayCee, I was surprised myself when I actually studied the photo.

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  4. What a stroke of luck to have looked out at that moment and also been able to photograph it. Magic.

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    1. Thanks, Rachel. It was pure luck - 5 minutes either way and I would have missed it.

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  5. That's amazing, Graham! I am sure someone that saw that thought, "Alien spaceships are here!" It does look other-worldly!!

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  6. Beautiful! Funny, reading this I seemed to remember hearing that name for a cloud (but in Swedish) mentioned only the other day... Checked online and found several similar cloud photos from 2-3 days ago in Sweden too. (I suppose not quite coincidental, but related to similar armospheric conditions...)

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    1. Yes, Monica, that is a coincidence but, as you say, there were very particular atmospheric circumstances and we are almost the same latitude - further south and seeing it would be less likely.

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  7. Wow! That one is a beauty!
    Good photo.
    Rainbow clouds are the kind I see here in Vermont.

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    1. Yes, Maywyn, your atmosphere would never, I would have thought, be cold enough.

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  8. You did well to get that, I don't think I've seen anything like it.

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    1. Amy, they are far more prevalent in the Northern Hemisphere.

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  9. I confess this is a new phenomenon to me, but it is singularly beautiful and I am glad that you shared your pictures, Graham,

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    1. Thank you, David. You are considerably South of me and I am not sure whether they appear that far South.

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  10. Nicely done. You have to be quick to get these photos as the clouds change quickly.

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  11. That's beautiful. Maybe all clouds should be like that!

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    1. Cro, I suppose if they were all like that we would be being awestruck at lenticular clouds instead.

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  12. It's heart-tuggingly beautiful, Graham. I can see you turning this picture into one of your wonderful greeting cards.

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  13. You still managed a beautiful photo. What an unusual cloud to see :)

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  14. Gorgeous - someone had this link to it - https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-64450253

    Bloglovin has not been working and I am missing blog posts - been catching up on your news - glad you made it to A and E :)

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    1. Thanks, Fiona. I missed it on the BBC so it was good to go and look at the photos they had shown.

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  15. Indeed one of the natural world's great and rare beauties. It is a bit like seeing a unicorn in a way.

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    1. Indeed, Tigger, especially as the Unicorn started to become the joint Scottish heraldic animal with the Lion after the joining of the crowns under James VI.

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  16. The more I look at this the more it resembles a bird in flight. I wish I had seen it!

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    1. Yes, David, it has the same mellifluous beauty as, in particular in my imagination, a kingfisher.

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  17. Absolutely beautiful! How advantageous that you were there at your window at just that moment! My favorite cloud is the lenticular, which favors mountain terrain underneath.

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    1. Anonymous (Pauline?) I agree and I have taken more lenticular clouds which I first saw in New Zealand than any other particular ones.

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  18. No, that wasn't me, Graham. Although it's a comfort to know I'm not the only one who goes Anon here. Mother of Pearl is the perfect name for that cloud. It's quite magnificent.

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    1. Ah, Pauline, sorry got that one wrong then. No. there's a couple of Anons.

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  19. As others have previously commented, Graham, you certainly were fortunate in being in the right place and at the right time for this sighting. I confess to being a bit envious and may never see a mother of pearl cloud myself based on my location in the US.

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    1. No Beatrice unless you go to colder climes. Mind you it's the first I've seen in my not far of 8 decades.

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  20. That is gorgeous! How amazing that you saw it AND managed to capture the image. Very cool. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. You're welcome, Debby. It's a joy to share such beauty.

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  21. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. In case you are wondering, I accidentally posted a "thank you/you're welcome" comment here insteat of the proper place ... sorry.

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    2. Jill, you're welcome. No need to apologise!

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  22. Oh, you got to see "the cloud", how absolutely wonderful.
    I had seen many mentions of the lovely rare spectacle being seen in the Highlands and north east but did not know views extended your side of the country as well.

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    1. Yes, Jayne, it was very visible over The Minch .

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  23. How lovely! Thanks for sharing this pic!! <3 (sideways heart, not "less than three")

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  24. Beautiful, indeed. Take good care, Graham. :)

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  25. Wow how unusual and pretty. That's the good thing about phones they are always handy.

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