Noctilucent Clouds 2014

[Backtrack]

Disappointed that this thread hasn't already been started for the second year running, so looks like it's my time to shine again! Getting to the time of year now where the sun is highest in the sky, and the lingering twilight allows noctilucent clouds to form on the horizons of a night time.

 

Will you be lucky enough to see these spectacular clouds this year?

Post here!

[Crepuscular Ray]

Do hope to see them again this year. I was astonished to see them from central London a few years ago.

 

Spaceweather.com (http://www.spaceweather.com/) has daily satellite images from NASA's Aim spacecraft (about half-way down the left-hand side of the page). As of now, nothing interesting has been recorded. 

[Mesosphere]

very good site here - http://www.mcewan.co.uk/nlc/ Useful forum as well when there's a good display on

[Candice]

Have never seen them but would love to. Aren't they more likely June/July?

[Crepuscular Ray]

Hi Candice. The season runs from late May to early August, so, yes, June and July are the likeliest times.

[Bobby]

Hope we get some good ones, there were some fantastic displays last year.

 

This from early on the 10th of June, seen from the garden, probably the best display I've seen:

 

[Polar Maritime]

FIRST NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS OF THE SEASON: Data from NASA's AIM spacecraft have shown that noctilucent clouds (NLCs) are like a great "geophysical light bulb." They turn on every year in late spring, reaching almost full intensity over a period of no more than 5 to 10 days. News flash: The switch has been flipped. "The first NLCs of the northern hemisphere season appeared on May 24th," reports Cora Randall, AIM science team member at the University of Colorado. Pale-blue and wispy, they are circled in this image of the Arctic Circle taken by AIM's CIPS instrument just three days ago:

Last year, for reasons that are not fully understood, noctilucent clouds appeared earlier than usual. In 2014, however, "we are having a fairly normal start," says Randall. "Since AIM was launched in 2007, we have seen start dates typically ranging from May 15th to May 27th, with four seasons (like this one) getting underway between May 24th and May 27th."

If this season follows the pattern of earlier seasons, the small wispy patches pictured above will grow into a magnificent ring of electric-blue clouds in 5 to 10 days--that is, by the first week of June. Then the geophysical light bulb will be fully aglow. Stay tuned for sightings.

 

Observing tips: NLCs favor high latitudes, but they are not confined there. In recent years the clouds have been sighted as far south as Colorado and Virginia. Look west 30 to 60 minutes after sunset when the Sun has dipped 6^o to 16^obelow the horizon. If you see luminous blue-white tendrils spreading across the sky, you may have spotted a noctilucent cloud.

 

http://www.spaceweather.com/

[Polar Maritime]

NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS: The Arctic Circle is beginning to glow--not with auroras, but with noctilucent clouds (NLCs). Seeded by meteor smoke, electric-blue NLCs appear every year in late spring, and grow in intensity as summer unfolds. Last night they descended to central Europe. Chris Kranich sends this picture from Kiel, Germany:

"Our first noctilucent clouds of 2014 were clearly visible to the naked eye," says Kranich. "They were visible all night long, though occasionally hiding behind low dark tropospheric clouds."

NASA's AIM spacecraft is orbiting Earth on a mission to study noctilucent clouds. When the spacecraft launched in 2007, the origin of the clouds was a mystery. Since then AIM has revealed not only the role of meteoroids in seeding NLCs but also how methane, a potent greenhouse gas, can boost the production of the clouds. This makes NLCs a potentially sensitive probe of climate change as well as long-distance teleconnections in Earth's atmosphere. http://www.spaceweather.com/

[lorenzo]

 

 

NASA's AIM spacecraft is orbiting Earth on a mission to study noctilucent clouds. When the spacecraft launched in 2007, the origin of the clouds was a mystery. Since then AIM has revealed not only the role of meteoroids in seeding NLCs but also how methane, a potent greenhouse gas, can boost the production of the clouds. This makes NLCs a potentially sensitive probe of climate change as well as long-distance teleconnections in Earth's atmosphere. http://www.spaceweather.com/

 

 

Great article on the 2 week lagged teleconnection for displays, amazing that we are still unraveling the mysterious phenomena that is NLC. If you haven't seen them yet then really hope you get lucky over summer. IMO better than aurora, spell binding.

[Polar Maritime]

Great article on the 2 week lagged teleconnection for displays, amazing that we are still unraveling the mysterious phenomena that is NLC. If you haven't seen them yet then really hope you get lucky over summer. IMO better than aurora, spell binding.

 

Yes Lorenzo, Im pretty sure I have seen them before while out and about, But this year I'm going to try and make a point of spotting them and hopefully get some good photo's. Nature at it's best!

[Polar Maritime]

NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS INTENSIFY: NASA's AIM spacecraft saw the first wispy noctilucent clouds (NLCs) of the 2014 summer season on May 24th. Since then NLCs have begun to intensify around the Arctic Circle and descend to lower latitudes. This morning, June 6th, Noel Blaney spotted a bank of the electric-blue clouds over Bangor, Northern Ireland:

 

http://www.spaceweather.com/

[mushymanrob]

could i ask those in the uk to mention the time you see your nocilucients? i random look out but have yet to see anything, maybe im timing it wrong.

[Evening thunder]

In 2009 I saw decent displays from Devon on the 16th and 17th June, and again on the 13th July. In 2010 I saw them on the 9th July. 

 

Haven't really seen so much since then (either missed them or they haven't occurred, or obscured by cloud), though saw a couple faint ones.

Edited June 12, 2014 by Evening thunder

[Polar Maritime]

Rapidly building now over the Poles.. 

 

[Summer of 95]

Visible now, 16/6/14 2346BST lat 52deg 45m N long 2deg 45m W. Direction NNW altitude between about 7 and 10 degrees. To the left of star Capella.

[Summer of 95]

0010 BST 17/6/14

Some more now visible due N and slightly E of it, only about 3-5 deg above horizon.

[Polar Maritime]

0010 BST 17/6/14Some more now visible due N and slightly E of it, only about 3-5 deg above horizon.

 

Yes can see them here to, Fantastic!

 

 

Edit- Just about gone now.

 

mistake still there 

Edited June 16, 2014 by Polar Maritime

[Summer of 95]

Brilliant meteor in north, about 15 deg up just now! Left visible trail

[Summer of 95]

Still there, low down just E of due N. (0125 BST) Seem to have got a little brighter, but lower down at the same time.

[Weather-history]

The lingering twilight and noctilucent clouds

[Bobby]

I could see some faint ones last night. If the skies are clear tonight I'll get the camera out if there's a decent display

Edited June 17, 2014 by Bobby

[Polar Maritime]

NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS: This morning in Northern Ireland, the usual rosy glow of sunrise was fringed with electric blue. "We had quite a stunning display of noctilucent clouds," reports photographer Noel Blaney, who sends this picture from the city of Bangor in County Down:

"This was the 3rd significant display of the season," says Blaney.

He can expect the apparitions to become more frequent. Noctilucent clouds (NLCs) are a summertime phenomenon, and the clouds generally grow brighter and more widespread after the summer solstice, which is only days away.

NLCs are Earth's highest clouds. Seeded by meteor smoke and boosted by the greenhouse gas methane, they float 82 km above Earth's surface at the edge of space itself. The natural habitat of noctilucent clouds is the Arctic Circle. In recent years, however, they have spread to lower latitudes with sightings as far south as Utah and Colorado. This will probably happen in 2014 as well.

Observing tips: Look west 30 to 60 minutes after sunset when the Sun has dipped 6^o to 16^o below the horizon. If you see luminous blue-white tendrils spreading across the sky, you may have spotted a noctilucent cloud. http://spaceweather.com/

could i ask those in the uk to mention the time you see your nocilucients? i random look out but have yet to see anything, maybe im timing it wrong.

[Bobby]

I looked last night but couldn't see much despite the clear skies, maybe something faint. How long before the season ends?

[mushymanrob]

Still there, low down just E of due N. (0125 BST) Seem to have got a little brighter, but lower down at the same time.

 

thanks for the times

[Polar Maritime]

Just downloaded some shots from the other night, And looks like I managed to catch some.. They were much clearer later on in the night around 1am, But my present camera needs upgrading to gather more light, Im hoping in the future to set up a time lapse camera at my new house when i'm in, As it has fantastic views N/N/E.

Edited June 19, 2014 by Polar Maritime