– NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick photographed an unusual cloud formation called noctilucent clouds from the International Space Station on July 4, 2024.
– Noctilucent clouds are very high atmospheric clouds that form around 50 miles above Earth’s surface in a layer called the mesosphere. They appear blueish-white and iridescent.
– Scientists used to be puzzled by these clouds, but a 2007 NASA mission called Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) revealed they form when ice crystals condense on meteor smoke particles in the mesosphere.
– The AIM mission provided the first global observations of noctilucent clouds and uncovered details about their life cycle and how they are influenced by solar activity and lower atmospheric events like rocket launches.
– Noctilucent clouds are best observed from high latitudes in summer months at dusk and dawn when they still reflect sunlight after sunset. Astronaut Dominick has been photographing them extensively from the space station.
– The AIM mission returned 16 years of valuable data before its battery died last year, and scientists continue analyzing its findings to learn more about these unique high-altitude clouds.
Source: Mashable
