A cloud for Martin!

[John9929]

While imaging Venus/Jupiter earlier, Sam and I noticed this large cloud 'growing' behind us, and when it was at it's best I grabbed a shot of it. This is an 8" exposure and that is a star on the left edge. The red lights are of the mast on Divis Mountain.

[martinastro]

That is a beautiful cumulonimbus John!, shows what cold air convection can do even with little solar heating. Great form to the anvil and nice mammatus too. Interesting bumbs on the anvil top, either the anvil is decaying revealing the updraught tower/s or that's an overshooting top. Stunning image! 

I seen some beauties before sunset to my east which looked to be heading your way and I was thinking at the time if you would spot them - you sure did!

[martinastro]

You got a star to the upper L too. 

[JohnC]

Convection like this  in these temperatures has always baffled me - nice  anvil there.

[brianb]

Convection like this  in these temperatures has always baffled me

The key is that the sea surface is more than 10C warmer than the air immediately above it. If the air is at all unstable, convection simply must develop.

With a northerly breeze, the minimum temperature at my location (200m from a north facing coast) was +3.6C. Inland I guess it was freezing. The sea surface temp is about +13C.

[John9929]

Thanks Martin/John, Brian, the grass was already covered with a thick coating of white frost when the image was taken at 16:59UT.

[jjb]

This cloud tried to spoil tonight's show luckily it didn't stay too long.

[John9929]

That's a lovely image Jonathan, I can see the moon on the left side!

[Roman White]

Nice image, Jonathan 

[martinastro]

Nice one Jonathan.

I caught this one during the conjunction on Dec 1st. It was dropping sleet over the Sperrins. Bit of a weak anvil on it.

[Roman White]

What a beauty! Dense precipitation curtain below and the clear sky just above it - great capture! 

[Tyler]

wow, I didnt realize you guys get so many LP thunderstorms, that is pretty cool. Great Images here.

[martinastro]

Unfortunately no convective outlook had been issued on that day so no storms were produced, however even without the lightning it was good to see something about. We get loads of cbs in this country at this time of year, many of them produce showers but very few inland cells produce lightning. Coastal areas are the place to be at this time of year for storms. However, the odd c-g inland can't be ruled out either. I'm really looking forward to Spring again to see more serious convection.

Still, it was nice to see some good clouds around complimented by the conjunction at the same time.

Cheers.

[brianb]

Coastal areas are the place to be at this time of year for storms.

Yeah, they don't often do anything "interesting" but they do get you wet ... and the decaying remnants fill the sky preventing stars from being seen. Having said that this year seems to have been especially bad (or good depending on your point of view); I have had only one reasonable evening for observing since the start of November, but the mornings haven't been too bad.

[martinastro]

That's very true. I have spent alot of time day and night looking at radar images over the last few months and have noticed the large amount of showers/clouds in the north coast this Autumn. I see what you mean about all the trouble you have been having observing in that. It sure has been bad. The interesting showers, producing the t-storms have been occuring along the W and NW coasts. Unfortunately we don't have any members from that area to share images with us. Are their any photographers out there?