📖 what
What are noctilucent clouds?
skyatmosphere
Quick Answer
Noctilucent clouds are the highest clouds on Earth, glowing electric blue in the twilight sky around 80 kilometres up.
The Full Story
Noctilucent, meaning 'night shining', clouds form in the mesosphere at altitudes of about 76 to 85 kilometres. They are made of tiny ice crystals that form around specks of meteor dust in extremely cold air, colder than −120 °C. Because they are so high, they stay lit by the Sun after it has set for observers on the ground, glowing silvery blue. They are usually seen in summer at latitudes between about 50 and 70 degrees. The first widely reported sightings came in 1885, two years after the eruption of Krakatoa.
Key Facts
1.They form about 76–85 km above the ground
2.They are the highest clouds in Earth's atmosphere
3.First widely reported in 1885
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"The glowing clouds at the edge of space"