 EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes
and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and
archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


 Noctilucent Clouds Over Northern Italy

   October 13, 2021

    #01

   Photographer:  Paolo Bardelli

   Summary Author:  Paolo Bardelli;  Cadan Cummings

   The photo above shows a view of  noctilucent clouds observed over
    Albusciago, Italy in June  2021. Noctilucent clouds, also referred
   to as  night-shining clouds or NLCs, are the highest altitude clouds
   in Earth’s atmosphere (approximately 50 miles / 83 km) and are usually
   only visible in the  75 minutes to 2.5 hours before sunrise or after
   sunset. These unique clouds form when  water vapor aggregates around
   specks of debris and  meteorite dust in the  mesosphere and
   freezes to form tiny ice crystals. NLC viewing mostly occurs for a few
   weeks around the summer solstice in each hemisphere and are confined to
   mid-to-higher latitudes. Historically, this region starts around 50
   degrees north or south latitudes and extends as far as the  polar
   circles. However in recent years, possibly due to climate change, the
   noctilucent clouds have appeared  further outside this typical area.
   This southern growth was evident on this evening in June when they
   literally filled the sky of northern Italy (45° N latitude), the
   largest ever apparition in our area. The next morning the clouds were
   moving north, still remaining clearly visible in the colors of dawn.
     * Albusciago, Italy Coordinates: 45.7395, 8.7939

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Cloud Links

     *  Atmospheric Optics
     *  The Cloud Appreciation Society
     *  Cloud Atlas
     *  Color and Light in Nature

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