Memory Cloud Atlas

Memory Cloud Atlas, 9/16/22 - Ardahan, Turkey

I had the incredible privilege of helping to screen photos for the Memory Cloud Atlas yesterday.* What I didn't anticipate was how moving it would be to watch a constant stream of cloud photos, taken around the world, along with the posters' statements about why they love clouds. This statement, for example, from a French poster (translated from French): "The clouds are aligned in a circle, as if the sky gave us an opening to the universe."

Every few minutes dozens of photos were submitted from wildly different locations. And I became aware, as the moments unfolded, of so many people simultaneously engaged in this beautiful, joyful pursuit. In just a few minutes in the afternoon, people posted from Spain, England, China, Australia, Brazil, Wales, Turkey, and points across the U.S.

Massachusetts was represented, though I know many out there who will be disappointed they missed the opportunity. That’s okay, however – the Cloud Atlas will open for contributions next year on September 16, 2023. In the meantime, take a trip around the world with the Memory Cloud Atlas, and see what people both near and far were seeing: memorycloudatlas.org. The atlas will be visible all year long for anyone who wants to share the experience.

Above and below are just a few photos I screened. The photo at the top of this post came in from Ardahan, Turkey, and the photos below came from Quebec, Galway (Ireland), and Amherst (taken by me). The Galway and Amherst photos capture the setting sun in both places on this awe-inspiring day. Find the photographers behind the other images in the Memory Cloud Atlas.

#memorycloudatlas #cloudappreciationday #cloudappreciationsociety

Memory Cloud Atlas, 9/16/22 - Quebec, Canada

Memory Cloud Atlas - Amherst, Massachusetts
Photo by Sharon Vardatira

*Cloud Appreciation Day, 2022 took place on Friday September 16th. This was an internationally recognized day on which people around the world were encouraged to spend a few moments appreciating the beauty of the sky. To mark the occasion, the Cloud Appreciation Society launched a Memory Cloud Atlas onto which cloudspotters around the world could upload photgraphs of their sky and record how it made them feel. The Memory Cloud Atlas serves as a snapshot on a single day of our collective views on the most dynamic, evocative and accessible part of nature: the sky. Explore the Atlas to see what everyone posted...