Noctilucent Cloud and What to Look For

[JeremyS]

With the NLC season anticipated to start later this month, Sandra Brantingham (BAA Aurora & NLC Section Director), has written an article about NLC on the BAA website.

 

[maw lod qan]

When they say "the Northern hemisphere" what ranges do they mean? I thought at 27° I was possibly too low to see any NLC's.

[JeremyS]

As Sandra says, NLC do seem to be visible further south each year, with recordings in southern France last year.

[Pete Presland]

Easy to mistake before you seen it for the first time, I went a couple of years before I knowingly saw any. Once I had seen those incredible ghostly ripples in the early hours, I don't think I will ever mistake them again.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I only spotted my first NLCs (from 53 deg N), last year, on the night of July 15. To the naked eye they were only a ghostly blur just above the horizon, but the camera showed them in their full glory.

A shot with my Canon EOS 80D and Samyang 10mm F/2.8

 

Same clouds with the Canon EOS 80D and 50mm F/1.4

[Pete Presland]

On ‎21‎/‎05‎/‎2019 at 08:07, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

I only spotted my first NLCs (from 53 deg N), last year, on the night of July 15. To the naked eye they were only a ghostly blur just above the horizon, but the camera showed them in their full glory.

A shot with my Canon EOS 80D and Samyang 10mm F/2.8

 

Same clouds with the Canon EOS 80D and 50mm F/1.4

Beautiful Michael, the highlight of the summer months!

[Craney]

They are beautiful images...    What time were you   awake/asleep   to in order to capture them ??

 

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

10 minutes ago, Craney said:

They are beautiful images...    What time were you   awake/asleep   to in order to capture them ??

 

Midnight, in my case

[Craney]

That's about the time of astronomical darkness in these parts.... so something to look out for before setting the imaging run going

 

[Pete Presland]

I saw my 1st ones at around 3am, got up ridiculously early to photograph them before work. I remember feeling very jaded at work later, but still buzzing from the thrill of seeing them!

[Pete Presland]

Noctilucent cloud visible last night from Bedfordshire.  Not the most extensive display i have seen, but certainly the earliest by nearly a month. Clearly visible in the northern part of the sky. I struggled to make out any of the usual "rippled" clouds this time from my bed room window, but i would guess if i had stayed later it would have become more prominent.

[AdeKing]

Pretty sure I saw my first ever NLCs at about 23:00 on 15th June from Winterborne Zelston way down in Dorset. 

A couple of phone snaps attached. 

Not very impressive compared to others and very faint but the pale band above the dark horizon clouds looked like it was glowing to me. 

 

Edited June 16, 2019 by AdeKing
Corrected date

[Guest]

13 hours ago, AdeKing said:

Pretty sure I saw my first ever NLCs at about 23:00 on 14th June from Winterborne Zelston way down in Dorset. 

A couple of phone snaps attached. 

Not very impressive compared to others and very faint but the pale band above the dark horizon clouds looked like it was glowing to me. 

 

Lovely pictures Ade. I can see the brighter areas. It shows that there are plenty of astronomical sights where a telescope is not necessary. 

[Pete Presland]

I definitely saw them that night as well, also the early hours of this morning as well. 

[AdeKing]

23 minutes ago, Pete Presland said:

I definitely saw them that night as well, also the early hours of this morning as well. 

Oops, I got my dates wrong, it was actually last night and into this morning, so thanks for confirming that they were definitely visible. 

[Moonshane]

I think I have just been observing NLCs over Ashton under Lyme / Oldham directly north of me. Taken with my android. So even visible with bad LP?

 

 

[Moonshane]

Ps truly lovely through the 8x42 binoculars

[Peter Drew]

I saw the same display on my way home from a brief session at the Astronomy Centre last night. Very bright and detailed.   😀