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Credit & Copyright: Sergey Lisakov
Explanation:
This
panoramic night scene from June 8
looks out across a Moscow skyline from atop the
main building of
Lomonosov Moscow State University.
Shining in the darkened sky above are widespread
noctilucent clouds.
From the edge of space, about 80 kilometers above Earth's surface,
the icy clouds can still reflect sunlight even though the Sun itself is
below the horizon as
seen from the ground.
Usually spotted at
high
latitudes in summer months the diaphanous
apparitions, also known as polar mesospheric clouds,
have come early this season.
The seasonal clouds are understood to form as water vapor driven
into the cold upper atmosphere condenses on the fine dust particles
supplied by
meteor smoke
(debris left by disintegrating meteors) or
volcanic ash.
Their early start this year may be connected to changing
global circulation patterns in the lower atmosphere.
During this northern summer, NASA's AIM mission provides
daily projections of the noctilucent
clouds as
seen from space.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: clouds - meteor
Publications with words: clouds - meteor
See also: