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Cumulus clouds make cloud spotting easy?

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Aira Idris Aira Idris | 18:11 UK time, Tuesday, 5 April 2011

d ~ 244'416'000 km in Earth's orbit

What's above your head?

On day 95 of our orbit around the Sun I have only one thing on my mind and that is clouds. Cumulus in particular. Yes it's the most recognisable cloud type but what better represents fairer weather than fluffy cotton like clouds?

Clouds are formed on the lowest major level of the Earth's atmosphere but to us down here clouds appear to be the cushion between us and space, it's the first visible thing we see when we look up and just knowing that little bits of cloud fall down on us makes me even more fascinated by clouds. But what is it about cumulus clouds that make me stare into the sky and snap away with my camera?

Cumulus clouds have a noticeable vertical development and defined edges. In Latin cumulus means pile or heap - just picture a heap of clouds, what a great photo. But the most intense cumulus clouds can be associated with severe weather phenomena such as hail and tornadoes and that is very significant, especially for storm chasers.

If you are up to the challenge - we encourage you to look up and see what type of cloud you can spot using the photos and description below as a guide. From cirrus clouds to stratus clouds, nimbostratus to cumulonimbus clouds we want to see them all - either add your photos to our or send it to us by email and let's see what type of clouds are out there - the best photos will be published on the blog each week - we will invite the photographers to tell us more about the story behind their photos.

On your journey you may even come across a new classification of cloud like the a cloud put forward for a separate cloud classification in 2009 by Gavin Pretor-Pinney founder of the .

It's quite murky now - looking outside my window - but with spring comes a variation of atmospheric conditions and the Sun may well come out tomorrow - I promise not to break out into a show tune. Cumulus is still my favourite, what's yours? Feel free to let us know of any other type of clouds not included below:

Altocumulus cloud: Broken into small, flat clouds, often regularly arranged. No rain or snow.

Altocumulus cloud

Altostratus cloud: Thicker than cirrostratus; sun's disc just visible. No halo seen. Sometimes light rain.

Altostratus cloud

Cirrocumulus cloud: Not a common cloud. Thin enough for the sun to be clearly visible. Sometimes dappled or rippled. Often forms within a patch of cirrus.

Cirrocumulus cloud

Cirrostratus cloud: A veil of thin ice cloud, with the sun clearly visible and casting shadows. Halo sometimes seen.

Cirrostratus cloud

Cirrus cloud: Sometimes very white, delicate, hair-like strands. Sometimes in thicker blobs. Made of ice crystals.

Cirrus cloud

Cumulonimbus cloud: Cumulus cloud grown big and dark. Rain shower likely and thunderstorm is possible. Top can be very high, sometimes with an anvil shape.

Cumulonimbus cloud

Nimbostratus cloud: Thick dark stratus, giving rain which is often heavy and prolonged. Difficult to show in a photograph.

Nimbostratus cloud

Stratocumulus cloud: Very common. Sometimes covering whole sky, but sometimes breaking into smaller flat clouds. Often seen at dusk.

Stratocumulus cloud

Stratus cloud: A featureless cloud, with no sun visible. Sometimes drizzle falls. Known as hill fog on high ground.

Stratus cloud


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