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Rare clouds that glow in the dark are the most vibrant in 15 years
CAPITAL WEATHER GANG
Rare clouds that glow in the dark are the most vibrant in 15 years
Sky watchers in Oregon, Washington, England and Canada have spotted “noctilucent clouds,” the rarest on Earth
By Kasha Patel
Updated July 1, 2022 at 7:28 p.m. EDT | Published July 1, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Oliver Schwenn captured this image of noctilucent clouds on Thursday in Aarhus, Midtjylland, Denmark. (Oliver Schwenn/Spaceweathergallery)
This week, sky watchers in the upper United States, Canada and Europe have spotted a flurry of shimmering, ghostlike wisps in the night sky. The blue-silver streaks shine brightly only after the sun has disappeared beyond the horizon, entrancing viewers with their beautiful yet somewhat eerie appearance.
Researchers say these noctilucent, or night-shining, clouds are the rarest, driest and highest clouds on Earth. The uptick of recent activity has been unlike any seen in at least the past 15 years, according to satellite data. More activity could be on the way this weekend.
On Friday, the National Weather Service office in Seattle captured this image of noctilucent clouds, which they described as one of the most vivid displays in years. (NWS Seattle)
“Folks in the northern U.S. and Canada should absolutely be on the lookout for noctilucent clouds over the long weekend,” Cora Randall, a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, said in an email. “We are near the peak of the noctilucent cloud season, and even in the absence of extraordinary events, they can appear over the northern continental U.S.”
The clouds most commonly occur near the poles but occasionally appear at lower latitudes as well. Rare and vibrant sightings have been reported from Oregon, Washington, Canada, Britain and Denmark in the past few days. The best chance to see the clouds is to find a clear view close to the horizon and look north. ... “There’s really nothing else quite like them,” the National Weather Service office in Seattle wrote on social media. Before sunrise on Friday, they tweeted photos of the “most vivid displays of noctilucent clouds” claimed to be seen in decades in the area.
{snip}
By Kasha Patel
Kasha Patel edits and reports on the weather, climate and environment for the Capital Weather Gang at The Washington Post. Before joining The Post, she covered Earth sciences and satellite research for NASA. Twitter https://twitter.com/KashaPatel
Rare clouds that glow in the dark are the most vibrant in 15 years
Sky watchers in Oregon, Washington, England and Canada have spotted “noctilucent clouds,” the rarest on Earth
By Kasha Patel
Updated July 1, 2022 at 7:28 p.m. EDT | Published July 1, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Oliver Schwenn captured this image of noctilucent clouds on Thursday in Aarhus, Midtjylland, Denmark. (Oliver Schwenn/Spaceweathergallery)
This week, sky watchers in the upper United States, Canada and Europe have spotted a flurry of shimmering, ghostlike wisps in the night sky. The blue-silver streaks shine brightly only after the sun has disappeared beyond the horizon, entrancing viewers with their beautiful yet somewhat eerie appearance.
Researchers say these noctilucent, or night-shining, clouds are the rarest, driest and highest clouds on Earth. The uptick of recent activity has been unlike any seen in at least the past 15 years, according to satellite data. More activity could be on the way this weekend.
On Friday, the National Weather Service office in Seattle captured this image of noctilucent clouds, which they described as one of the most vivid displays in years. (NWS Seattle)
“Folks in the northern U.S. and Canada should absolutely be on the lookout for noctilucent clouds over the long weekend,” Cora Randall, a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, said in an email. “We are near the peak of the noctilucent cloud season, and even in the absence of extraordinary events, they can appear over the northern continental U.S.”
The clouds most commonly occur near the poles but occasionally appear at lower latitudes as well. Rare and vibrant sightings have been reported from Oregon, Washington, Canada, Britain and Denmark in the past few days. The best chance to see the clouds is to find a clear view close to the horizon and look north. ... “There’s really nothing else quite like them,” the National Weather Service office in Seattle wrote on social media. Before sunrise on Friday, they tweeted photos of the “most vivid displays of noctilucent clouds” claimed to be seen in decades in the area.
{snip}
By Kasha Patel
Kasha Patel edits and reports on the weather, climate and environment for the Capital Weather Gang at The Washington Post. Before joining The Post, she covered Earth sciences and satellite research for NASA. Twitter https://twitter.com/KashaPatel
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