https://nautil.us/dont-miss-the-electric-clouds-this-summer-704313/ * * home icon * search icon [ ] search icon * Channels * Topics * About * Contact us * Newsletter * Become a member * Shop Channels [qkQZ8WA9-art-science-4] Art+Science [Biology_Beyond-1] Biology + Beyond [Cosmos-logo] Cosmos [Culture-logo] Culture [Earth-logo] Earth [Life-logo] Life [Mind-logo] Mind [Ocean-logo] Ocean [OneQuestion-logo] One Question [QuantaAb-logo] Quanta Abstractions [JAiEEmsV-science-phill] Science Philanthropy Alliance [spark_logo_short_color-] Spark of Science [hvUA5xEW-Homepage-logo-ThePorthole] The Porthole [TheRebelIssue-label] The Rebel Issue [Women-in-Science-Engineering] Women in Science & Engineering Topics * Anthropology * Arts * Astronomy * Communication * Economics * Environment * Evolution * General * Genetics * Geoscience * Health * History * Math * Microbiology * Neuroscience * Paleontology * Philosophy * Physics * Psychology * Sociology * Technology * Zoology Already a member? Log in * facebook-icon * twitter-icon * Join logo Close Search for: [ ] [Search] logo Log in Join Zoology The New Science of Animal Minds Paleontology What Happened to Ancient Megafauna? Arts Tanning With the Stars Environment The Conservationist's New Best Friend Astronomy The Moss That Could Terraform Mars Arts The Art of Quantum Forces Environment March of the Spider Orchids Neuroscience Big Brother of the Brain Is Here Environment The Unexpected Music of a Coral Reef Zoology The Haunted Forest of Butterflies Health The Power of Physician Empathy Zoology We're Polluting Our Forests--with Noise Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . * Environment Don't Miss the Electric Clouds This Summer Climate change and rocket exhaust are seeding a light show in the northern skies. * By Briana Brownell * July 9, 2024 * [comment-pl] Add a comment * [share] Share img Facebook img Twitter img Pocket img Reddit imgEmail Article Lead Image [VVcT4Zdm-T] Explore They swirl at the very edges of our atmosphere, forming paper-thin ripples that glow electric and pearl blue. They're lit by a twilight sun catching on ice crystals and seeded by rocket exhaust and space dust. These are noctilucent, or "night-shining," clouds--the highest clouds in Earth's atmosphere--and they seem to be spreading. Some scientists attribute their proliferation to global climate change. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you may have a greater than usual chance to spot their ethereal shimmer this summer. Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . Noctilucent clouds are most visible from the end of May through September in the Northern Hemisphere, but they extend farther south as the season reaches its peak, which happens around July 11. (In the Southern Hemisphere, the season extends from the end of November through February and peaks January 10.) In Body ImageSILVER LINING: Noctilucent translates from Latin as "night-shining." The clouds sparkle at twilight because they are so high up in the atmosphere that the sun can still catch on them long after the rest of the sky has gone to bed. Photo by Ireen Trummer / Wikimedia Commons. Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . A century ago, observations of the clouds were only recorded in far northern lands such as Britain, Scandinavia, and Russia. But today, they're spotted as far south as Colorado or Utah. (They have historically been more common in the Northern Hemisphere than the southern, and geographically, somewhere between 50 and 70 degrees latitude seems to be the sweet spot.) Noctilucent clouds live about 50 miles above the Earth's surface, at the outer reaches of a layer of atmosphere called the mesosphere, where meteors typically burn up. The mesosphere lies just above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere, where auroras occur. Paradoxically, the mesosphere is colder in summer than in winter, reaching temperatures as low as -100 degrees Celsius. It is also very dry. The extreme low temperatures allow what water vapor exists to condense on dust and other particles, forming tiny ice crystals that scatter sunlight, giving the clouds their incandescent glow. Long-term studies based on observations from both space and ground suggest the clouds have become increasingly bright and numerous at polar and subpolar latitudes in recent decades. Some scientists believe the clouds could serve as an indicator of climate change because they are extremely sensitive to changes in ambient temperature and water vapor in the upper atmosphere. While greenhouse gases such as methane may warm temperatures on Earth, in the mesosphere they lower temperatures--and increase water vapor, both of which accelerate the formation of noctilucent clouds. In Body ImageIT'S ELECTRIC: Noctilucent clouds can take many shapes--undulating billows, long diffuse streaks, intersecting knots and whirls, vast nets across the sky. The light is electric but the palette is cool. Photos by Igor da Bari and Gofororbit / Wikimedia Commons. Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . But other factors also play a role in their abundance, including solar and rocket activity. In 2006, NASA launched a satellite called AIM (Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere Satellite), which helped to reveal that rocket launches stimulate the creation of the clouds when water vapor exhaust from the rockets gets trapped in the mesosphere. Unlike many astronomical phenomena, no expensive equipment is needed to see the clouds. They appear brighter than the twilight sky, so binoculars are sufficient to illuminate some of the finer details of their architecture, and they can easily be photographed. To help scientists track them, a number of citizen scientist projects have sprung up. Enthusiasts recommend photographing the clouds with stars visible in the background, and from multiple positions, noting the exact times and locations that the photos were taken. Noctilucent clouds can only be seen about an hour or two after sunset, or before sunrise--when the upper atmosphere is lit up by the sun's rays, but the rest of the sky is dark enough to let their faint glimmers shine through. The clouds can typically be found streaking the sky close to the horizon, though as the night progresses and the shadow line shifts, they can be found higher up. When the evening deepens and the atmosphere is totally enveloped in the Earth's shadow, the clouds blink out, disappearing into the night. In Body ImageSHADOW LINE: Noctilucent clouds can only be seen about an hour or two after sunset, or before sunrise--when the upper atmosphere is lit up by the sun's rays, but the rest of the sky is dark enough to let their ethereal blue shimmer shine through. Illustration from NASA. Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . The first recorded sightings of noctilucent clouds occurred in 1885, a couple of years after the eruption of the Krakatoa Volcano in Indonesia, one of the deadliest and most destructive volcanic events in recorded history. Two Russian astronomers, V.K. Tseraskii and A.A. Belopolskii, took the first photographs of the clouds and were able to infer their altitude in the range of 45 to 52 miles above the Earth. Observers initially thought they were caused by the Krakatoa eruption, but research conducted since then about whether ash and water vapor expelled by volcanoes can trigger the creation of noctilucent clouds has been inconclusive. Still, some scientists speculate that this year, the frequency and brightness of the unusual nebulas could get a boost from recent underwater volcanic activity, as well as rocket launches. A 2022 underwater volcanic eruption in Tonga caused huge steam plumes to rise into the atmosphere as the magma interacted with the seawater. This excess water vapor is still accumulating at record levels in the mesosphere where noctilucent clouds form. Exhaust from rockets, which have been launching in growing numbers lately, can also seed the clouds, as the AIM satellite research showed. Noctilucent clouds can take many shapes--undulating billows, long diffuse streaks, intersecting knots and whirls, vast nets across the sky. The light is electric but the palette is cool, as though the sun were playing a final lullaby to a long summer's day. With potentially ideal viewing conditions this summer, it's a great time to keep an eye on the twilight sky. [nautilus-f] Lead photo by Matthias Sussen / Wikimedia Commons * Briana Brownell Posted on July 9, 2024 Briana Brownell is a data scientist turned tech entrepreneur and science writer. She writes about technology, art, history, and the future. Her work has been published in numerous publications, both print and online. new_letter Get the Nautilus newsletter Cutting-edge science, unraveled by the very brightest living thinkers. NL - In Page Mobile Email: * [ ] Captcha If you are human, leave this field blank. [ ] Sign up for free Article Sidebar Image Environment I Heard the Wild Donkey Bray Article Sidebar Image Zoology The New Science of Animal Minds Article Sidebar Image Paleontology What Happened to Ancient Megafauna? [comment-pl] View / Add Comments * [VVcT4Zdm-T] Explore Article Recirculation Lead Image The New Science of Animal Minds + By Brandon Keim + July 16, 2024 + Zoology The author on writing his new book Meet the Neighbors: Animal Minds and Life in a More-Than-Human World. * [VVcT4Zdm-T] Explore Article Recirculation Lead Image What Happened to Ancient Megafauna? + By Summer Rylander + July 15, 2024 + Paleontology Recent studies show it wasn't the climate that did them in. * [VVcT4Zdm-T] Explore Article Recirculation Lead Image Tanning With the Stars + By Charles Digges + July 12, 2024 + Arts Since we can't travel to the stars, this philosophical trickster brings them to us. * [VVcT4Zdm-T] Explore Article Recirculation Lead Image The Conservationist's New Best Friend + By Sophie Hartley + July 11, 2024 + Environment With their astounding sense of smell, dogs are helping to sniff out ecological trouble. * [VVcT4Zdm-T] Explore Article Recirculation Lead Image The Moss That Could Terraform Mars + By Tom Metcalfe + July 10, 2024 + Astronomy A superhero plant that could thrive on the Red Planet. logo NAUTILUS: SCIENCE CONNECTED Nautilus is a different kind of science magazine. Our stories take you into the depths of science and spotlight its ripples in our lives and cultures. Get the Nautilus newsletter Cutting-edge science, unraveled by the very brightest living thinkers. NL - Footer Email: * [ ] Please check the box below to proceed. If you are human, leave this field blank. [ ] Sign up for free Quick links * Home * About Us * Contact * FAQ * Prime * Ebook * Shop * Donate * Awards and Press * Privacy Policy * Terms of Service * RSS * Jobs * Newsletter * Ethics Policy Social * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram --------------------------------------------------------------------- (c) 2024 NautilusNext Inc., All rights reserved. close-icon Enjoy unlimited Nautilus articles, ad-free, for less than $5/month. Join now ! There is not an active subscription associated with that email address. Already a member? Log in Join to continue reading. You've read your 2 free articles this month. Access unlimited ad-free stories, including this one, by becoming a Nautilus member. Join now ! There is not an active subscription associated with that email address. Already a member? Log in This is your last free article. Don't limit your curiosity. Access unlimited ad-free stories like this one, and support independent journalism, by becoming a Nautilus member. Join now [szdBs2Dz-2] Literary and always interesting. To read this story, sign up for the free Nautilus newsletter: science and culture for people who love beautiful writing. NL - Emailgate * [ ] Check the box below to proceed. If you are human, leave this field blank. [ ] Sign up for free Quantcast fbpx