NCL - I think.

[Ant]

I had far too much to drink last night... I woke needing a drink at 3:30.

The sky was starting to brighten, and I looked to the north and there was some cloud like stuff really low down - maybe between 5 and 10 degrees up. Our bedroom window face West so I could view all the way round to just East of North.

The bulk of what I'm pretty sure was NCL, was situated under the bowl part of the plough.

I stood there for about 10 minutes in my semi drunken / over tired / mouth like a flip flop state debating if I should attempt the camera and tripod. Decided against it in the end and then remembered the mobile phone camera

I have an old Nokia 6230. It has a night mode . This is the first nightime image I have taken with it, and it isn't very good. But it's all I have.

I cannot apologise enough for the quality of this image.

I really wish that I had gone and got the 300D.

(click to enlarge)

Ant

[Naz]

Certainly can see a strip of what could NCL, pity about the quality, but better than no photo.

Archie

[SteelRat]

Ahhh, good ol' VGA + nightmode

Definately caught something up there Ant 8)

[Talitha]

Looks to me like you got it, Ant!!

Did they look a bit like this visually?

[Ant]

Very broadly yes

But it was an hour later.

I'm well happy. Already got the camera out ready for 3am tomorrow morning...

Ant

[Jeff RV]

Good Catch Ant, here's hoping for 3am tomorrow then.

Jeff.

[Talitha]

I think the hour time difference actually validates the image, Ant. It's the underside of the NLC's which are illuminated during twilight, and the pics in the link were taken during the month of June when twilight would have been extended by about an hour either side of sunset/sunrise.

If I'm thinking this through properly, it means that the Sun would be about the same number of degrees below the horizon at 2:30 am on June 23rd as it was at 3:30am on July 22nd.

[Ant]

:oops: that'll teach me for not reading things properly, I didn't notice that the NCL link you gave me was for June

I know almost nothing about NCL (apart from PeteL takes a lovely photo of them).

• 
  [li]Does the sun have to be a very specific position below the horizon?[/li]
  [li]Are they just very high clouds or are they made of something specific?[/li]
  [li]I take it that they are like normal clouds in so far as they may be there or not/[/li]
  [li]If I were to go out earlier in the morning - say 1am, is it possible to see them? But they may be lower or higher in the sky.[/li]
  

Confused

Ant

[lunator]

Ant

I reckon you have caught NLC.

I'm not an exprt on this but the clouds are mad of ics cystral between 50-80Km high, well above normal cloud level. The are illimnated by the Sun from underneath.

I haven't managed to see any this year which is a little disappointing but there is still time.

Cheers

Ian

[barkis]

Good luck for early morn. tomorrow Ant.The 300D will crack it if there are some to be seen.

Try not to have too much peeve though buddy, you know fine well astronomy and booze are a bad mix. Except at Star Parties. :laughing2:

Ron.

[Talitha]

"During the summer months, look west perhaps 30 minutes to an hour after sunset when the Sun has dipped 6^o to 16^o below the horizon,"

Time-wise, there seems to be a window of opportunity...

Apparently the window opens in the east before sunrise, too.

Good luck, Ant!!

[Ant]

Thanks for the link Carol, most of the images that I've seen seem to have been taken at silly oclock, before sunrise.

I did set the alarm for 3am this morning, but there was nothing to be seen.

I really regret not getting the proper camera out!

Ant

[Talitha]

All you can do is try.. you'll catch them, though.

[Ant]

All you can do is try.. you'll catch them, though.

My wife keeps telling me i'm trying... can't imagine what she means.

Ant

[Tim]

NCL?

Nocti-Clucent Louds???

Just kidding Ant. If it hadn't of been for you guys on here, i'd still know nothing about these thingys!!

TJ

[scotastro]

Was just heading off to bed at 2.45am last night (this morning?) - glanced out the window and glowing on the northern horizon was more Nocti Cloud Lucent. Had been observing from 11pm till 2am with no sign of the stuff.

It looked like a Z with long streamers flowing out to the east which merged to a sheet with ripples in it. Because it was just below the Plough it was easy to see that the whole thing was slowly moving west by 25 deg. It faded rapidly and was gone by 4am.

The more I see of this stuff the less I understand it as it never seems to look or act quite the same twice. As I have not see any for a while I had thought the season might be over, but it would seem not.

Mike