Hi Everyone,

Here are a few links to recent cloud/halo posts just to prove I'm still in the land of the living. Enjoy!

http://theboltoncloudatlas.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/12th-june-2012.html

http://theboltoncloudatlas.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/10th-june-2012-iii.html

http://theboltoncloudatlas.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/10th-june-2012-ii.html

http://theboltoncloudatlas.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/10th-june-2012-i.html

http://theboltoncloudatlas.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/27th-may-2012.html

http://theboltonhalotriangle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/28th-may-2012-crepuscular-rays.html

http://theboltonhalotriangle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/10th-june-2012-upper-tangent-arc-right.html

http://theboltonhalotriangle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/12th-june-2012-weak-22-degree-halo.html

Best,

Alec

Thanks Alec, especially for sharing the shots first in color and then B&W. It really showcases how B&W brings out even more detail and is often more interesting. How funny - we had to make do with black and white photos for so long and were ecstatic when color became available and easy. Now we are rediscovering the wonders of B&W. Next thing you know we'll be rediscovering the fun of making our own tools out of flint and bone. (Just kidding.)

Alec, good to hear/see from you. A marvelous lot of clouds you're having. Nothing but blue skies here - not even a contrail, boo hoo. (Did I get the punctuation correctly?)

@ Noctilucy. Thanks. Whilst I like a good colour photo, my heart will always be with B&W! You're right, B&W does indeed seem to bring out more detail but I think this is probably just a contrast effect.

@ Andrew. I don't know how you cope with the number of blue skies you get; here in the UK, cloud lovers complain if they get two consecutive days of blue skies! As soon as those contrails start showing up again, don't forget the Crow! Will e-mail soon.

Best,

Alec

I almost forgot to mention, a couple of days ago I saw my very first circumhorizontal arc,

http://theboltonhalotriangle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/10th-june-2012-circumhorizontal-arc.html

I appreciate it is fragmentary and nothing to write home about and pales into insignificance compared to some of the fine examples you get elsewhere in the world. However, considering the very small window of opportunity we get here in the UK and low solar elevation, I'll take anything I can get! The weird peach colour is caused I presume by it's proximity to the horizon. There are hints of red and green, but the predominant colour is peach.

I can't tell you how excited I was to see it. It has taken me three years of daily observation (during the "window") to bag this one. Another halo to tick off the list!

Excitedly yours,

Alec

June 10th is something else, Alec. You wont have a heat dome over Bolton (I still have central heating on further south), so you have convinced me it must be my observation that is so lacking.

I heard today that Anish Kapoors' London Orbit was fabricated in Bolton. This link even has contrails:

http://www.lighting.co.uk/news/olympic-tower-to-host-light-installation/8629301.article

I thought this a good time to look again at AK's (that's Kapoor's) Cloud Gate, but can not find an image with cloud.

Wow, that picture looks like something off the front of a sci-fi novel. I can't help but think that it will dramatically increase the light pollution already in the area.

H,

You're quite correct, Kapoor's Orbit was made by Watson Steel just up the road from me,

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/9702982.Town_shows_its_metal_with_Olympic_sculpture/

Best,

Alec