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Noctilucent Clouds 2011


toggerob

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Posted
  • Location: Whaley Bridge - Peak District
  • Location: Whaley Bridge - Peak District

Coming up to the Noctilucent Cloud season at the beginning of May I thought now would be a good time to start a topic on those pre-preparing to capture these clouds again, or advise to anyone planning on seeing them who haven't already. The 'Season' generally starts mid-May until mid-August when the sun never leaves astronomical twilight beneath the Horizon to the North.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noctilucent_cloud#Observation

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Posted
  • Location: Sth Staffs/Shrops 105m/345' & NW Snowdonia 219m/719'
  • Location: Sth Staffs/Shrops 105m/345' & NW Snowdonia 219m/719'

Last year was a very poor season... maybe something to do with the Icelandic volcano... maybe not. :unknw:

2009 was superb with many spectacular displays, sometimes night after night.

Best place for the heads up/early warnings is here:

http://nlcnet.proboards.com/

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Posted
  • Location: Mytholmroyd, West Yorks.......
  • Weather Preferences: Hot & Sunny, Cold & Snowy
  • Location: Mytholmroyd, West Yorks.......

Will the low Strat temps not impact this?

I kinda think that storms (like 'Boscastle) that puncture the tropopause, put the moisture into the Strat but do low temps then allow the moisture to 'drop out'?

We will see! I love both the long twilights and the clouds we see......only beaten by low lat Auroras (IMHO)"

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Posted
  • Location: Lower Brynamman, nr Ammanford, 160-170m a.s.l.
  • Location: Lower Brynamman, nr Ammanford, 160-170m a.s.l.

Last year was a very poor season... maybe something to do with the Icelandic volcano... maybe not. :unknw:

2009 was superb with many spectacular displays, sometimes night after night.

Best place for the heads up/early warnings is here:

http://nlcnet.proboards.com/

Funny, last year was the first time I saw them in London, despite years of hopeful watching. But, it was only the once.

How to match 2010's apparent decline with the Icelandic volcano is a new sphere of interest for experts. Years of productive research hopefully.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: chellaston, derby
  • Weather Preferences: The Actual Weather ..... not fantasy.
  • Location: chellaston, derby

ive never seen them, tbh i never even knew about them until i saw this thread last year! lol. im intrigued, i will definately be looking out on suitable nights.

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Posted
  • Location: chellaston, derby
  • Weather Preferences: The Actual Weather ..... not fantasy.
  • Location: chellaston, derby

what are the best synoptics for these clouds to form?... low/high pressure? westerlies? easterlies?

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Posted
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W

what are the best synoptics for these clouds to form?... low/high pressure? westerlies? easterlies?

Clear skies help :lol:

Very nice site here with good descriptions and pics of different types of NLCs

http://www.nightskyhunter.com/Noctilucent%20Clouds.html

As to their formation, there are theories but I have always found it best to simply look toward the northern horizon around true midnight (1.00 am +- 1 hour or so BST)

Currently we have a clear view to the horizon here and it may well be worth a proper look before going to bed. I'll report back if there is any activity but it's still early in the year.

Edit: I should add NLCs are very high polar region clouds so local weather conditions don't apply other than aforementioned clear skies.

Edited by frogesque
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Posted
  • Location: chellaston, derby
  • Weather Preferences: The Actual Weather ..... not fantasy.
  • Location: chellaston, derby

Clear skies help :lol:

Very nice site here with good descriptions and pics of different types of NLCs

http://www.nightskyhunter.com/Noctilucent%20Clouds.html

As to their formation, there are theories but I have always found it best to simply look toward the northern horizon around true midnight (1.00 am +- 1 hour or so BST)

Currently we have a clear view to the horizon here and it may well be worth a proper look before going to bed. I'll report back if there is any activity but it's still early in the year.

Edit: I should add NLCs are very high polar region clouds so local weather conditions don't apply other than aforementioned clear skies.

thanks :)

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: chellaston, derby
  • Weather Preferences: The Actual Weather ..... not fantasy.
  • Location: chellaston, derby

any been seen yet?.....

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Posted
  • Location: Sth Staffs/Shrops 105m/345' & NW Snowdonia 219m/719'
  • Location: Sth Staffs/Shrops 105m/345' & NW Snowdonia 219m/719'

any been seen yet?.....

First so far?..... Russia, Yaroslavl region 27 May 2011 :good:

http://nlcnet.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=2011nlc&action=display&thread=648

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Posted
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W

Had the best and clearest view of the northern horizon last night. Absoulutely cloudless - nothing! Not even a hint of NLCs. I gave up at midnight :wallbash:

Quite a bit of low level cloud tonight and it's still early but will have another look before turning in.

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Posted
  • Location: chellaston, derby
  • Weather Preferences: The Actual Weather ..... not fantasy.
  • Location: chellaston, derby

indeed theres been some great nights recently, but ive not seen anything yet...

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Posted
  • Location: Mytholmroyd, West Yorks.......
  • Weather Preferences: Hot & Sunny, Cold & Snowy
  • Location: Mytholmroyd, West Yorks.......

indeed theres been some great nights recently, but ive not seen anything yet...

http://www.spaceweather.com/

well they're out there MMR!, though I've been out late and not seen any thus far too!!!

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Posted
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W

We had cloudless skies again last night but couldn't spot anything. Weird! :aggressive:

Grey overcast easterly today so not looking good for tonight :nonono:

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Posted
  • Location: chellaston, derby
  • Weather Preferences: The Actual Weather ..... not fantasy.
  • Location: chellaston, derby

http://www.spaceweather.com/

well they're out there MMR!, though I've been out late and not seen any thus far too!!!

thanks for that gw..... im gutted that those pics were taken just about 15 miles southeast of my house... and i missed them!

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: chellaston, derby
  • Weather Preferences: The Actual Weather ..... not fantasy.
  • Location: chellaston, derby

so..... nobody seen any yet?...

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: Whaley Bridge - Peak District
  • Location: Whaley Bridge - Peak District

Just a reminder that the backedge of the CF has the high building in. Allowing for a star-lit (humidity-free) night for the majority overnight. it might be worth staying up later and early morning to catch a glimpse of any possible NCLs.

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Posted
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W

Nice clear view to the northern horizon tonight and there is a hint of NLCs. They are weak but definately there. It's also still quite light and the display may well improve towards solar midnight (~1.00am)

Unfortunatley the camera is packed up ready for going on holiday tomorrow. Hopefully someone will be able to get some pics.

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Posted
  • Location: Upper Tweeddale, Scottish Borders 240m ASL
  • Location: Upper Tweeddale, Scottish Borders 240m ASL

Can see them here too frogesque. Have just had a good old lean out of the window, up the Newhaven Road and facing NNW. Clear sky and the slightest hint - although I never fail to be surprised how bright the sky is at this time of the evening.

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Posted
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W

Thanks for the confirmation Shuggee. A bit more contrast now it's getting darker but mostly lowish on the northern horizon and in bands. Not a great deal of fine structure.

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Posted
  • Location: Whaley Bridge - Peak District
  • Location: Whaley Bridge - Peak District

Barely visible even with averted vision, but the NCLs helped somewhat in keeping the sunlight lingering around that extra hour before it eventually succumbed to twilight around 11.30pm. Up until then here south of Manchester it was easy enough to read small-print on the camera's settings without needing to squint to look at what I was adjusting.

post-8763-0-19451000-1309302459_thumb.jp

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Posted
  • Location: East Devon
  • Location: East Devon

There were some to the north and NE when I woke about 3:30 this morning. Structure was a bit like cirrus though of course they were the blue colour of NLC's.

Was going to take a pic but found I didn't know where I'd left my camera and couldn't be bothered to search the house at that time though, but I've taken pics of better ones in the past.

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Posted
  • Location: chellaston, derby
  • Weather Preferences: The Actual Weather ..... not fantasy.
  • Location: chellaston, derby

not seen any yet, but maybe im not up late enough...i look when returning home from the pub @ 23.30 ...

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Posted
  • Location: @scotlandwx
  • Weather Preferences: Crystal Clear High Pressure & Blue Skies
  • Location: @scotlandwx

I crashed on the couch last night watchin the darkness come in albeit dark blue rather than black at this time of year.

Been a couple of good displays this week.

Also found a facebook group with plenty of photos and this amazing timelapse video..

NLC July 01-02 Anglesey from John Rowlands on Vimeo.

">Noctilucent Timelapse

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Posted
  • Location: LANCS. 12 miles NE of Preston at the SW corner of the Bowland Fells. 550ft, 170m approx.
  • Location: LANCS. 12 miles NE of Preston at the SW corner of the Bowland Fells. 550ft, 170m approx.

Some developing just now I think. Faint thin pink lines to the WNW low down near the horizon, now changing to thin greyish smudged pencil lines, So faint can scarce be sure it's not my tired eyes. But seem very like what I've seen other years.

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