Mammatus Sky

This was a weird sky the other night. These are mammatus clouds, I have never seen them before. They appeared at the back end of a storm and then they disappeared. The whole event took just a few minutes and the clouds were moving pretty fast and at low light so not easy to photograph. I had no chance at all to photograph them as a decent landscape shot, they are just photographed from my garden. The whole sky was affected, a viewing experience that is impossible to capture in a photograph and it was truly breathtaking. I took some shots for the record and with a view to maybe using them as part of a composite image at some point, the sky being so unusual. The first is stitch, 14,000 pixels wide at full size, which gives me some options later on. The second is a single shot at 12mm. I am exhibiting these images in case anyone finds them meteorologically interesting. Critique though is pointless. I am also exhibiting them to demonstrate why 'Your Photos' section might usefully subdivided into those photos that are conducive of critique (such as my gloomy London architecturals) and those where critique is pointless but might be of of interest by dint of the subject matter. I think also with the first it demonstrates the serious limitation of 800pixels wide. It looks like nothing at that width, it looks rather more impressive at a width that fits more snugly the screens that most of us view it on.

'twas awe inspiring wasn't it - I hadn't seen anything quite like it before either.

Got any photos with that big 'ole Nikon of yours? Not here obviously.

I would add that the first shot was looking SE and the second shot looking due East. At sunset then for those parts of the sky to be ablaze was quite extraordinary.

tut, tut, you mentioned the N word.

No I didn't take any photos, I just breathed it all in.

I'm glad you did though. You're right about the size - the sky here is so big and those little photos certainly don't do it justice when viewed on here.

I wonder if the little clouds caught up with the storm in time to join in or not. Or maybe they were lost souls racing for the light.

You should certainly be able to make some interesting composites.

If I knew how to composite then I would. I need to speak to Axel another N'er.

Extraordinary. The first almost looks like some of the images from American prairie skies during major continental storm cells.

Thanks for posting and explaining.

Yes, that is exactly what it is.

Ah! Thanks Dr. Just spent some time checking the phenomenon out. Astonishing. Never seen anything quite like that...although there are snaps on the net of an event in Bingley last year

Just fascinating, and v. lucky to witness.

I love the second shot...what amazing colours and shapes. Wish I had been there to see it.

Mammatus clouds are a sign of an extremely unstable atmosphere. They are often seen here on the American Great Plains on the underside of a supercell anvil.

The closer they are to the ground, the more impressive they seem, but they are a treat wherever you might see them. To capture them side-lit by the setting sun is especially wonderful. Nice work!