Photo Credit: Kevin Cho/ Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA 3.0
The term “noctilucent” comes from the fact that they appear in the twilight hours after sundown.
Everybody loves the opportunity to catch a great picture of a sunset or a huge, booming moon. This summer may provide a different picturesque opportunity as night-shining noctilucent clouds head south.
These wispy clouds shine blue or white when they are caught in the sun’s rays. But, what makes this so interesting is that they’re catching those rays after the sun has set. The clouds form when cold temperatures cause water vapor to condense and freeze around dust particles. Since June was so wet, it provided ample opportunity for this magical skyline display to happen.
Possible explanations for the damper-than-normal June is the increase of moist air rising during the summer as well as an increase of methane in the atmosphere that is oxidized to form water vapor. The more that it continues to build up in the mesosphere, the more likely they will clash with the cold temperatures that occur in the upper atmosphere.
These kinds of clouds have been studied for many years to figure out how they form, as well as what they might reveal about global warming with their atmospheric changes. These clouds have been spotted in Oklahoma, New Mexico, and the southern California desert. The clouds have been continuing to stretch to the lower latitudes with greater frequency.
With records continuing to be set with the amount of moisture parts of the United States are receiving, it is no wonder that these kinds of clouds are becoming more and more prevalent. Keep your eye to sky as you might catch a chance to take a selfie with some noctilucent clouds!
