There was an usual sight from Skelmorlie looking across the Clyde with blue skies after nightfall.
The summer months provide an opportunity to catch a glimpse of noctilucent clouds (NLCs) from our location, and this is what Kristine Walker of Skelmorlie spotted and photographed here at 2am on Monday.
Noctilucent , that is 'night shining' clouds, are made of ice crystals. and are most commonly observed in the summer months at latitudes between 50° and 70° north and south of the equator. NLCs are the highest clouds in Earth's atmosphere, located in the mesosphere at altitudes of around 76 to 85 kilometres.
Coats Observatory's John Pressley explained: "They are too faint to be seen during daylight, and are visible only when illuminated by sunlight from below the horizon while the lower layers of the atmosphere are in the Earth's shadow. NLCs are generally colourless or pale blue and can appear as featureless bands, but frequently show distinctive patterns such as streaks, wave-like undulations, and whirls. NLCs are still not fully understood and are a relatively recently discovered meteorological phenomenon - there is no confirmed record of their observation before 1885. Their occurrence can be used as a sensitive guide to changes in the upper atmosphere.
"They are exceptionally pretty and well worth keeping an eye out for over the summer months."
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