Noctilucent Cloud Season 2016

[Polar Maritime]

It's that time of year again where 'some' are on the look-out for the elusive Noctilucent Clouds, Please post any reports or sighting here, And let's hope for a good season with some spectacular shows!

[Polar Maritime]

WAITING FOR NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS: Every year in late May, noctilucent clouds (NLCs) gather over Earth's north pole where they remain, rippling hypnotically, until the end of Arctic summer. NLCs are, by far, Earth's highest clouds. Seeded by meteoroids, they float in a thin layer ~83 km above the planet's surface. With the beginning of the season upon us, NASA's AIM spacecraft is monitoring the Arctic for signs of electric blue:

 

This is called a "daily daisy." It assembles scans from AIM's Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument into an ensemble picture of the Arctic. Noctilucent clouds would appear as wispy filaments criss-crossing the Arctic Circle. You can see the daily daisy updated every 24 hours right here on Spaceweather.com.

So far AIM's daily daisy is empty--no NLCs. There has been one ground-based sighting that suggests the season might already be underway. We will know for sure when AIM spots the first Arctic NLCs of 2016 from space. http://spaceweather.com/

Edited May 25, 2016 by Polar Maritime

[mushymanrob]

need some clearer skies, they are too hazy/cloudy atm.. heres hoping!

[mushymanrob]

On 25/05/2016 at 07:09, Polar Maritime said:

WAITING FOR NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS: Every year in late May, noctilucent clouds (NLCs) gather over Earth's north pole where they remain, rippling hypnotically, until the end of Arctic summer. NLCs are, by far, Earth's highest clouds. Seeded by meteoroids, they float in a thin layer ~83 km above the planet's surface. With the beginning of the season upon us, NASA's AIM spacecraft is monitoring the Arctic for signs of electric blue:

 

This is called a "daily daisy." It assembles scans from AIM's Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument into an ensemble picture of the Arctic. Noctilucent clouds would appear as wispy filaments criss-crossing the Arctic Circle. You can see the daily daisy updated every 24 hours right here on Spaceweather.com.

So far AIM's daily daisy is empty--no NLCs. There has been one ground-based sighting that suggests the season might already be underway. We will know for sure when AIM spots the first Arctic NLCs of 2016 from space. http://spaceweather.com/

so does this act as an early warning? there are early warnings for the aurora, a warning of likely activity would be useful. i dont want to wait up all evening if theres no chance. (im early to bed/early to rise)

[Polar Maritime]

I have seen many that maybe the satellites can't pick up at our latitude Mushy.

[Polar Maritime]

NOCTILUCENT CLOUD SEASON BEGINS: It's official. The 2016 season for noctilucent clouds is underway. NASA's AIM spacecraft spotted them on May 24th, and now observers on the ground are seeing them, too. Andy Stables sends this picture from Milovaig on the Isle of Skye, Scotland: "The wispy electric-blue clouds appeared near midnight on May 27th," says Staples. 

 http://spaceweather.com/

Edited May 30, 2016 by Polar Maritime

[Polar Maritime]

THE EDGE OF SPACE IS TURNING ELECTRIC BLUE: NASA's AIM spacecraft spotted the first noctilucent clouds (NLCs) of the 2016 season on May 24th. Those first clouds were wispy and faint. What a difference a week makes. Last night, June 2nd, a bright display of NLCs wowed observers across the British Isles. Matt Robinson sends this picture from Kielder Observatory in Northumberland, UK:

"The display started at 11pm and we could tell it was going to be a strong one," says Robinson. "It carried on and got brighter for a further 2 hours. If this is a sign of things to come, this NLC season is going to be one to remember."

http://spaceweather.com/

 

[mushymanrob]

supposed to be a kp6 storm tonight 2100 - 0300 , if it clears we might see noctilucent clouds AND aurora!

[Polar Maritime]

Yes Mushy, Cloudy here just now but fingers crossed.

Edited June 4, 2016 by Polar Maritime

[mushymanrob]

supposed to be kp6 now.... but its kp1.3,... so no aurora me thinks... skies cleared but hazy..

[mushymanrob]

nothing yesterday morning 3.11 am

nothing yesterday evening 11.15 pm

[Polar Maritime]

Plenty showing now from daisy over the Poles.

[mushymanrob]

On 09/06/2016 at 21:25, Polar Maritime said:

Plenty showing now from daisy over the Poles.

.... now the clouds have arrived! grrr...

might be clearer later next week when we get that ridge and this low departs.

[Polar Maritime]

3 minutes ago, mushymanrob said:

.... now the clouds have arrived! grrr...

might be clearer later next week when we get that ridge and this low departs.

Yes towards next weekend looks promising as high pressure pushes in, Fingers crossed!

[Polar Maritime]

Observers in Europe are currently reporting a spectacular outburst of NLC's according to spaceweather today, The Daisy is sure looking busy.

[mushymanrob]

longest day? half way through the season?...

its been bloody awful so far with a lengthy cloudy spell spoiling our chances.

might get an opportunity over the nest few nights though.

[Polar Maritime]

 

[mushymanrob]

looking clearer at last...

[Polar Maritime]

Yes Mushy and the Daisy is looking rather full atm with many shifting South, Good chance of spotting them over the next few days i would say given cloud cover.

[mushymanrob]

nothing last night..... i was really tired after being up watching history unfold the night before..

[Polar Maritime]

No sightings here as yet, And weather conditions don't look good for sightings in the next week at least..

An interesting write up here.

Quote

By Dr. Tony Phillips (Spaceweather.com)

Noctilucent clouds are such a mystery that in 2007 NASA launched a spacecraft to study them. The Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere satellite (AIM) is equipped with sensors specifically designed to study the swarms of ice crystals that make up NLCs.  Researchers call these swarms “polar mesospheric clouds” (PMCs).

A new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research (doi:10.1002/2015JD024439) confirms what some researchers have long suspected:  PMCs in the northern hemisphere have become more frequent and brighter in recent decades—a development that may be related to climate change. 

http://news.spaceweather.com/climate-change-at-the-edge-of-space/

 

[mushymanrob]

dire isnt it.... looks like another washout summer, this is reminding me of 1998, a flat jet aimed straight at the uk (as opposed to a southerly tracking jet and northern blocking of 07, 08, 12)

either way its wet, and cloudy... we only have a few weeks left to view any this year.

[mushymanrob]

nothing last evening.... not totally clear, i could see the tops of cumulonimbus that had given manchester and halifax heavy showers, but there wasnt even a hint of any NCL s

[mushymanrob]

another blank sky, where are they? has anybody seen any? am i too far south?

[Polar Maritime]

A spectacular show of NLC's lighting up the Northern sky just now! One of the best i have seen.