Stunning Noctilucent Clouds Shine Brightly in the UK

Panoramic view of Noctulucent Clouds from Kendal Castle in the UK. Credit: Stu Atkinson

[/caption]

Mysterious “night shining” or Noctilucent Clouds are beautiful to behold, and here are some gorgeous examples what skywatchers in the UK have been experiencing. Stu Atkinson took this stunning panoramic view from Kendal Castle. (Click image for access to a larger version). NLCs are usually seen during the summertime, appearing at sunset. They are thin, wavy ice clouds that form at very high altitudes and reflect sunlight long after the Sun has dropped below the horizon. Scientists don’t know exactly why they form, and they seem to be appearing more and more in recent times.

See more below.

Remove All Ads on Universe Today

Join our Patreon for as little as $3!

Get the ad-free experience for life

Science writer Will Gater also had a great view of NLCs this morning. Click the image to see his animation, or see more of his images and animations at his website post.

NLCs seen over the UK on July 1, 2011. Click to see animation. Credit: Will Gater

Another view of Noctilucent Clouds from Kendal Castle in the UK on July 1, 2011. Credit: Stu Atkinson

See more from Stu Atkinson at his Cumbrian Sky website.

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy has been with Universe Today since 2004, and has published over 6,000 articles on space exploration, astronomy, science and technology. She is the author of two books: "Eight Years to the Moon: the History of the Apollo Missions," (2019) which shares the stories of 60 engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make landing on the Moon possible; and "Incredible Stories from Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos" (2016) tells the stories of those who work on NASA's robotic missions to explore the Solar System and beyond. Follow Nancy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Nancy_A and and Instagram at and https://www.instagram.com/nancyatkinson_ut/