This summer, NASA is inviting skywatchers to participate in a citizen science project called Space Cloud Watch, aiming to capture images of elusive noctilucent clouds (NLCs), also known as “night-shining” clouds.
These rare, luminous clouds form high in Earth’s atmosphere, approximately 76 to 85 kilometres above the surface, and are typically visible during twilight hours in the summer months.
Per EarthSky, Noctilucent clouds likely come into being as ice crystallizes on meteor dust, when the mesosphere is rich with water and very cold. They are best observed when the Sun is between 6° and 16° below the horizon, illuminating these high-altitude formations while the lower atmosphere remains in Earth’s shadow.
‘I can’t wait to see the amazing pictures’
They are most commonly seen between latitudes 50° and 70°, but sightings have occurred as far south as Spain. “I find these clouds fascinating and can’t wait to see the amazing pictures,” said project lead Dr. Chihoko Cullens from the University of Colorado, Boulder Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.
The formation of NLCs is influenced by atmospheric conditions, including temperature and the presence of water vapour and dust particles. Recent studies suggest that increased atmospheric methane emissions may contribute to the formation of these clouds by producing additional water vapour in the mesosphere.
In order to fully test this hypothesis, NASA’s Space Cloud Watch project seeks public contributions to help scientists better understand the occurrence and distribution of noctilucent clouds.
How to: Space Cloud Watch
What you’ll do
Watch the sky at dawn and dusk for noctilucent clouds (NLCs).
Upload your photos and observations to the official website to contribute to research on Earth’s middle atmosphere (mesosphere).
Take note of when noctilucent clouds are absent, so you can report that too!
Requirements
Time: 10-20 minutes
Equipment: Camera, smartphone or GPS receiver
Knowledge: No prior knowledge necessary
Source: https://science.nasa.gov/
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Participants are encouraged to photograph these clouds and submit their observations through the project platform. These citizen-generated data points will work alongside satellite observations, providing a more detailed understanding of NLCs and their role in Earth’s climate system. “Combined with satellite data and model simulations, your data can help us figure out why these noctilucent clouds are more frequently appearing at mid-low latitudes,” NASA say.
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