The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of CloudsA quirky, clever guide for everyone who loves to look up. Where do clouds come from? Why do they look the way they do? And why have they captured the imagination of timeless artists, Romantic poets, and every kid who's ever held a crayon? Journalist and lifelong sky watcher Gavin Pretor-Pinney reveals everything there is to know about clouds, from history and science to art and pop culture. Cumulus, nimbostratus, and the dramatic and seemingly surfable Morning Glory cloud are just a few of the varieties explored in this smart, witty, and eclectic tour through the skies. Generously illustrated with striking photographs and line drawings featuring everything from classical paintings to lava lamps, children's drawings, and Roman coins, The Cloudspotter's Guidewill have science and history buffs, weather watchers, and the just plain curious floating on cloud nine. |
From inside the book
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Contents
Introduction | 9 |
Classification table | 17 |
Cumulonimbus | 45 |
Stratus | 71 |
Stratocumulus | 91 |
Altocumulus | 113 |
Altostratus | 135 |
Nimbostratus | 151 |
Cirrus | 171 |
Cirrocumulus | 195 |
Cirrostratus | 211 |
The Other Clouds | 239 |
Contrails | 253 |
The Morning Glory | 283 |
Notes | 307 |
Other editions - View all
The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of Clouds Gavin Pretor-Pinney Limited preview - 2007 |
The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of Clouds Gavin Pretor-Pinney Limited preview - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
accessory clouds air stream altitude Altocumulus Altostratus appear atmosphere beautiful Burketown called Cirrocumulus Cirrostratus Cirrostratus cloud Cloud Appreciation Society cloud cover cloud formation cloud layer cloud seeding cloud types cloudlets cloudspotter clumps colours contrails convection clouds cooling crepuscular rays Cumulonimbus Cumulonimbus cloud Cumulus clouds Cumulus congestus dark develop duplicatus earthquake earthquake cloud effect evaporate fall freeze glider grey grow halo phenomena heat high clouds horizon ice crystals ice particles layer cloud lenticularis light look mackerel sky mediocris meteorologists mid-level miles moisture molecules Morning Glory mountain nebulosus Nimbostratus noctilucent clouds nuclei opacus pass patches photographs pilots praecipitatio precipitation radiation rain Rankin regions rising shape skies snow species spread storm stratiformis Stratocumulus Stratus cloud sun or moon sundogs sunlight supercooled surface temperature tend thermal thick tiny translucidus troposphere undulatus virga warm warmer air water droplets water vapour wavelengths waves weather Whilst wind