Noctilucent Clouds

[Vipera]

We should start to see some Noctilucent Clouds soon, i hope so as i want to get some decent pics of it, last year i didnt have my camera when i saw my first ever NLC, so if i see it again this year i will be getting lots of pics!
Im wondering if the shuttle launches tomoorw if it will trigger a NLC display as thats what happened last year and there is some speculation that the shuttle fuel does form NLC

[Strontium]

Originally Posted by Vipera

We should start to see some NLC soon, i hope so as i want to get some decent pics of it, last year i didnt have my camera when i saw my first ever NLC, so if i see it again this year i will be getting lots of pics!
Im wondering if the shuttle launches tomoorw if it will trigger a NLC display as thats what happened last year and there is some speculation that the shuttle fuel does form NLC

Hi Vipera - could you give me some more info on what this is plz (NLC?), I just dont get it at the moment, Im interested to know if there are any other effects, meteor showers etc this month or soon?

[carlos_dfc]

Hi Strontium

NLCs occur when the Sun is not far below the Northern horizon - in other words, at night, in the summer,
What happens is that because the Sun isn't far below the Northern horizon, it's light can get below high level clouds to your North - and light them up from below.

There's a good section on NLCs and other atmospheric phenomena, at Spaceweather.com.
Noctilucent Clouds, NLCs
(links on the left, for other atmospheric optical effects)

and a gallery of pics
Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery -- Summer 2008: Page 2

[ChrisJB]

I've always wanted to see NLCs and never have. Seen quite a few nacreous clouds though over the years.

Regards, Chris

[kielder]

Hi, when are the NLC's taking place roughly?

[Strontium]

Thanks for the links Carlos,

Impressive - they are some of the highest altitude atmospheric effects possible, by light scattering by ice crystals - gravitiy waves can also make an effect on this phenomenon?

[Vipera]

Originally Posted by Strontium

Thanks for the links Carlos,

Impressive - they are some of the highest altitude atmospheric effects possible, by light scattering by ice crystals - gravitiy waves can also make an effect on this phenomenon?

Hi strontium, Sorry for not answering your question, for some reason, even though i have subscribed to this topic i did not get any emails saying there had been any replies, until today that is!
Seems youve managed to find out that NLCs are though so thats ok, now lets just hope we get to see some soon!

[Vipera]

Well, The NLC season is now in full swing, several displays have been observed from the UK from late June/early July.
Me and my friend saw a nice display on the 2nd of July, whilst fishing from Southampton, the tropospheric cloud broke up revealing a lovely NLC display, here are some of the pics I took.

[ChrisJB]

Lovely photos those. I really need to see some NLCs. What time of night did you see them?

Regards, Chris

[Vipera]

Thanks, that particular display was from 02:10-03:10 UT it may have been going on before then but it was cloudy, we were lucky in that the cloud broke up to allow us to see a good show that lasted an hour! by 03:10 the sky was getting to bright to see any more NLC, although one of my photos shows traces of the NLC even with the sky quite bright.

[Dafi]

We have Noc cloud showing right now....Orkney that is.

[Vipera]

I think the NLC season is pretty much over, at least for me down here in the south, maybe they last longer further north?

[Dafi]

I was quite suprised as well. My first thought when i saw the sky was the northrn lights but another glance soon told me diffrent. I only saw the display for fifteen minutes and it was gone. I usualy see the clouds more to the west and north but this was large areas of the sky. I wondered if the chinese space shot had anything to do with it?

[Jim Ford]

Here's a link to an explanation of noctilucent clouds, with a nice example:

Noctilucent Clouds, NLCs

The site in general is an excellent resource for atmospheric phenomena.

Jim

[Dafi]

Interesting site Jim...cheers.