Replies to post #167925 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

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ELECTRIC-BLUE NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS

June 16, 2012

Data from NASA's AIM spacecraft show that noctilucent clouds (NLCs [ http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2003/19feb_nlc/ ]) are like a great "geophysical light bulb." They turn on [ http://aim.hamptonu.edu/library/feat_data/data04012009.html ] every year in late spring, reaching almost full intensity over a period of no more than 5 to 10 days. News flash: The bulb is glowing. Flying photographer Brian Whittaker photographed these NLCs over Canada on June 13th:


[via http://spaceweather.com/submissions/large_image_popup.php?image_name=Brian-Whittaker-Noctilucent-Clouds2012a-www-AstroPilot-info_1339626537.jpg ]

"I was very happy to see my first noctilucent clouds of 2012," says Whittaker. "They were visible to the north for about 3 hours as we flew between Ottawa and Newfoundland at 35,000 feet."

These electric-blue clouds are hanging 85 km above Earth's surface, at the edge of space itself. Their origin is still largely a mystery; various theories associate them with space dust, rocket exhaust, global warming--or some mixture of the three. One thing is sure. They're baaack ... for the summer of 2012.

Observing tips: NLCs favor high latitudes, although they have been sighted as far south as Colorado and Virginia. Look west 30 to 60 minutes after sunset when the Sun has dipped 6o to 16o below the horizon [ http://www.spaceweather.com/nlcs/geometry.gif ]. If you see luminous blue-white tendrils spreading across the sky, you may have spotted a noctilucent cloud.

©2012 Spaceweather.com (emphasis in original)

at http://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=16&month=06&year=2012

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