Picture(s) of the day....

[Armidillo]

Well we have our Summer Solstice tomorrow according to Google:

Summer solstice/Date (2023)
Fri, 22 Dec 2023, 2:27?pm
Eastern Australia Time

But our equivalent of the BBC, our very own ABC, says:
"Inhabitants of the Southern Hemisphere will have their longest day of the year this week".,

I am expecting at least 25 hours tomorrow - hopefully we'll get enough darkness to sleep!

For perspective, where I live (between Sydney & Brisbane) sunrise and sunset tomorrow will be (daylight saving doing it's absolute best):

5:48?am
Friday 22 December 2023 (AEDT)
Sunrise in Armidale NSW
7:55?pm
Friday 22 December 2023 (AEDT)
Sunset in Armidale NSW

So not even as long a day as you would expect along your South Coast - not even 14 hours! (Just checked - Portsmouth gets about 16 1/2 hours daylight in midsummer).

Well, hope you all sleep well - with only 7 3/4 hours "daylight" (can't really call it "sunshine" ) there should be no problem!

[Armidillo]

The random hand has selected something a little less straight out of the camera for the November 2023 image on the thread

Picture(s) of the Day Random Review of 2023...
link here viewtopic.php?p=784220#p784220

This was a near miss

Neil
[/quote]


Thanks Neil - that's my kids (plus a friend) in the winter of 1990/91!! You guys used to get proper snow then - although I failed utterly to find a ski shop that would hire out a set of Langlauf (X-country) skis and boots - not available south of Scottish border, so I was told!

Your picture certainly has a certain "Je ne sais quoi" - and quite a lot of "froid"

[mickthemaverick]

Yesterday I had cause to visit Watford High Street which I have not been to for over 10 years and I was amazed, bemused, distressed and delighted in various proportioins to discover the way it has developed a modern theme but retained some of the tradition:

MTMO - Entry to the renamed shopping centre which used to be The Harlequin

MTMO - Used to be Etam Fashion Shop in the old exchange building now dwarfed by the shopping centre behind

MTMO - Used to be my Midland Bank which it seems has expanded to the right under the HSBC banner.

Overall I think I did well moving to Hertford albeit via my financially enforced period in Luton!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Earlier today there was a very decent display of phenomenon known as nacreous clouds in Northumberland, quite a rare occurance. Plenty of pictures circulating, but by the time the Falcon camera was activated in reality not much to see. So here is a set of images from the local paper, of previous appearances of the phenomena, how much is a camera and photoprocessing effect as opposed to the naked eye view I can't say, but the next time you see "Mother of pearl" / rainbow colours within the clouds, you will know what it is.

Evening Chronicle Gallery Nacreous Clouds https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/incomin ... s-10825858

and to keep it visual Geograph has supplied this creative commons image of an example over Edinburgh

geograph stamped image

Neil

[Armidillo]

Full marks to the local photographers - some fabulous photos published by the Evening Chronicle! Interesting just how many people had their cameras out at the same time - as we know cloud shapes can change quite quickly, but at least 9 of the published photos are clearly of the same cloud formation, so all taken in a short time window!

[Zelandeth]

In a similar vein, some unusual cloud displays spotted just half an hour or so back here.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Nice images Zel

More nacreous clouds tonight, the effect is vivid and easily seen with the naked eye. Took some pics, have to see what they captured later.

Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Couple straight out of the camera of the nacreous clouds, a few more in the spoiler

Spoiler: show

Neil

[Armidillo]

Very well done - looks like Zel picked them up as well. Pretty sure I've never seen anything like them.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Very well done - looks like Zel picked them up as well. Pretty sure I've never seen anything like them.

Thanks Alec, they were pretty widespread across the UK not just 55°N

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-67795856
The clouds, sometimes referred to as "mother-of-pearl" because of their colours, have been captured on camera across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-67784774
Shropshire/Staffordshire/Hertfordshire/Warwickshire

Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Picture(s) of the Day Random Review of 2023...
link here viewtopic.php?p=784341#p784341

...has reached its conclusion today with the random hand selecting this December 2023 contribution from Citrojim.
viewtopic.php?p=784341#p784341

This was a near miss



Neil

[CitroJim]

Picture(s) of the Day Random Review of 2023...
link here viewtopic.php?p=784341#p784341

...has reached its conclusion today with the random hand selecting this December 2023 contribution from Citrojim.
viewtopic.php?p=784341#p784341

This was a near miss



Neil

I'm feeling very highly honoured to feature in the Random Review

I was back running Bury Field again this morning and once again, getting deliciously wet and muddy

I caught these skyscapes... I was there not long after sunrise... The sun and clouds made quite a show...

Makes a change from showing pictures of muddy puddles

EDIT: I've just seen what looks like a contrail in the second picture, never noticed it at the time...

[Armidillo]

You are certainly getting some spectacular skies at the moment!

Agree it must be a vapour trail in the 2nd photo - presume it's a fairly wide angle shot (which would explain how narrow the trail looks)? We seem to live under the main flight path between the eastern capital cities - when conditions are right I have seen up to a dozen visible in the air at once!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Well not exactly the silhouetted plane flying across a bright white moon, but the Logan Air flight from Exeter heading for a landing at Newcastle Airport, just passing by some nacreous clouds....

Spoiler: show

Neil

[bobins]

Spring must be just around the corner - apparently.

A Camellia in flower this morning - own work