Juhani Wiitanen Getty Images
Rare glow-in-the-dark nocturnal clouds are currently lighting up much of the Northern Hemisphere – and the recent display is the most vibrant in 15 years.
The hazy ghost clouds that appear on summer nights after the sun has disappeared below the horizon have been spotted right in the UK. In the early hours of Tuesday morning (June 5), many people took to Twitter to share the breathtaking phenomenon.
According to the weather service, these nocturnal luminous clouds are the rarest, driest and highest clouds on Earth, occupying the layer of the atmosphere known as the mesosphere. Best known for their silvery blue tones, the translucent clouds become visible around the same time as the stars and remain visible after nightfall because they still reflect sunlight due to their great height.
“They are less common in the southern hemisphere because there is very little land and very few people.” Only the southern tip of Argentina and Chile and Antarctica are at the correct latitude,” says the Met Office. “Like many clouds, cirrus clouds need water vapor, dust, and very low temperatures to form. Cold temperatures are readily available in the mesosphere, but water vapor and dust are in short supply.”
Translucent clouds spotted on the beach at Druridge Bay on the Northumberland coast, North East England
Anita Nicholson Getty Images
Although they are not visible all the time, your best bet for spotting the clouds is between late May and early August each year. Be sure to wait until most of the sky has darkened to see them. Have you been lucky enough to spot any?
Check out some of the amazing images below…
This content was imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information on their website.
This content was imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information on their website.
This content was imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information on their website.
This content was imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information on their website.
This content was imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information on their website.
This content was imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information on their website.
This content was imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information on their website.
This content is created and maintained by a third party and has been imported to this page to assist users in providing their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content on piano.io
Add Comment