From my location (59 degrees north) noctilucent clouds can often be observed in the period late July - early August. Last year almost none were seen. Yesterday evening at 24:00 however, there was a great display in the northern sky. The clouds had a very nice structure, some of them looking almost like mackerel clouds, others having a feather-like structure, all appearing to be phosphorescent.
The 60 degree latitude seems to be optimal for observation of such clouds. People living in southern Scandinavia, or e.g. Anchorage, Alaska or St.Petersburg and Ekaterinburg, Russia should have a good chance of seeing such clouds these days. The circumpolar star, Capella, can be a good guide to the noctilucent clouds. No need to look for the clouds before Capella becomes visible. (If you see bright clouds in the north earlier in the evening, those are probably sunlit cirrus clouds at 10.000 metres altitude, the noctilucent coluds are much higher up). You will normally find the noctilucent clouds below Capella in the sky, sometimes appearing as extended whisps of the bright northern twilight.
The noctilucent clouds can be very bright. I have experienced such clouds to harm my nocturnal trout fishing, making me standing in silhouette against a sky being FAR too bright.
The 60 degree latitude seems to be optimal for observation of such clouds. People living in southern Scandinavia, or e.g. Anchorage, Alaska or St.Petersburg and Ekaterinburg, Russia should have a good chance of seeing such clouds these days. The circumpolar star, Capella, can be a good guide to the noctilucent clouds. No need to look for the clouds before Capella becomes visible. (If you see bright clouds in the north earlier in the evening, those are probably sunlit cirrus clouds at 10.000 metres altitude, the noctilucent coluds are much higher up). You will normally find the noctilucent clouds below Capella in the sky, sometimes appearing as extended whisps of the bright northern twilight.
The noctilucent clouds can be very bright. I have experienced such clouds to harm my nocturnal trout fishing, making me standing in silhouette against a sky being FAR too bright.
