Juhani ViitanenGetty Images
Currently, rare noctilucent clouds that glow in the dark illuminate much of the northern hemisphere, and the recent screen is the most vibrant in the last 15 years.
Ghost clouds, which appear on summer nights after the sun has disappeared beyond the horizon, have been seen around the UK. In the early hours of Tuesday morning (June 5), many people took to Twitter to share the impressive phenomenon.
According to the Met Office, these nocturnal bright clouds are the rarest, driest, and tallest clouds on Earth, occupying the layer of atmosphere known as the Mesosphere. Best known for their silver and blue tones, noctilucent clouds become visible at the same time as the stars and remain visible in the dark because they still reflect sunlight due to their high altitude.
“They are seen less often in the southern hemisphere, as there is very little land and very few people there. Only the southern tip of Argentina and Chile, and Antarctica are at the right latitude,” says the Met Office. “Like many clouds, noctilucent clouds need water vapor, dust, and very low temperatures to form. Low temperatures are easy to reach in the Mesosphere, but water vapor and dust are scarce.”
Noctilucent clouds detected on Druridge Bay beach, on the coast of Northumberland, in the north-east of England
Images by Anita NicholsonGetty
Although they are not visible all the time, the best option for detecting clouds is between late May and early August each year. Be sure to wait until most of the sky is dark to see them. Were you lucky enough to find one?
Check out some of the amazing images below …
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