NLCs

www.nlcnet.co.uk/nlcreps.htm

I have just got an email reply confirming my NLC sighting and images (6th June) from the UK NLC website. My sighting and two images have been placed on the website for all to see which i am very pleased about Click the above link to see them.

Was completely clouded out last night but i hope to see and image more displays in the very near future! spaceweather has received alot of images lately of NLcs which look very good!

Anybody else have any luck tonight with the weather?

That must be a good feeling, how did you do it ?

Well done Martin! Its probably the least you deserve put putting all those hours in!

Cheers

Dave McD

Well done Martin.
Can you assist me with my understanding of NLC's?
My understanding of them was always(?) quite firm in my mind, but the image by W. Hamburg of Germany seems to be defying my definition. What is the definition of an NLC?
Bill H.

Thanks very much everyone!

I will have a look at that German image.

Well done Martin.
Can you assist me with my understanding of NLC's?

Bill,
generally, Noctilucent Clouds (taken from glowing clouds close to night time) form extremely high up in the atmosphere. It is believed that due to their height of formation (quite possibly the highest elevation clouds of any type can form - about 80knm or 50 miles), they come from meteor dust, encrusted with ice crystals.
They are only seen generally between latitudes of 50 to 65 degrees as you move from the equator. The sun is no more than 6 degrees below the horizon (as far as I know), which puts it almost an hour roughly after it has gone below the horizon. If conditions are right, the NLC's form away from your observation point (and NOT overhead), but catch the suns light and reflects it to you.

These clouds were actually first recorded after the Krakatoa volcano explosion in 1885 by a German observer, T.W. Backhouse.

There is an interesting article in the current issue of Realta actually, submitted by Ronan Newman, about Noctilucent Clouds (sorry, couldn't resist plugging that!)

Seanie.