Mysterious Clouds Creeping out of Artic

[kimmerspixelated]

Mysterious Clouds Creeping Out of the Arctic

LiveScience-June 28


Normally rare noctilucent (“night shining”) clouds, which glow during the evening, are starting to move out of the polar regions to which they are normally confined, according to detailed pictures taken by a new NASA satellite.

Noctilucent clouds form 50 miles above the Earth’s surface, usually above the North and South pole during the summer months.

The "Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere” (AIM) satellite imaged the noctilucent clouds as far south as Northern Europe on May 25. Not long after, they were seen in the sky by people living in that region.

The unusually southern appearance of these clouds is a clear sign that part of our atmosphere is changing, but scientists do not currently know how, why or what this means. The movement of the clouds suggests a global climate change in the lower atmosphere.

LiveScience June 28, 2007


snip

No one knows yet exactly how the clouds form, or what their formation says about the state of our atmosphere. Researchers plan to record two complete cloud seasons over both the Northern and Southern hemisphere, in the hopes of being able to provide an answer.



It is possible that the unusual movement of these clouds is one among many early warning signs of global climate change. If so, the fact that people are seeing these clouds, however beautiful they may be, could potentially herald disastrous problems further down the road.

Other photos depicting the truly magnificent and mysterious patterns of Mother Nature include clouds that look like fire, cool pouch-like clouds, and other strikingly beautiful cloud formations.

[ThomCat]

1. Link, please?

:)

[Aviation Pro]

2. One theory on noctilucents is that they...

...are dirty space ice balls that enter the meso and thermosphere and dissapate in the high ion layer above us. Fascinating stuff but there is little impact on our weather from them.

[Gman]

3. Link?

[Aviation Pro]

4. Link

http://www.livescience.com/environment/070628_night_clouds.html

[kimmerspixelated]

13. Thanks!

[sutz12]

5. Pics

[Unreconstructed Lib]

8. gmta

:)

[havocmom]

10. Spaceweather.com has a whole gallery of them

http://www.spaceweather.com/nlcs/gallery2007_page8.htm

[Unreconstructed Lib]

6. Picture

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Apparently, they've been seen as far south...

as Virginia:

http://www.spaceweather.com/nlcs/gallery2006_page1.htm

(Neat pix)

[Gman]

9. Wiki link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noctilucent_clouds

[Forkboy]

11. Some images

[SpiralHawk]

12. "More liberal BS - fact-based shit. Pay no attention." - Rush Limbaugh

"Are you going to believe these facts, or are you going to believe my eloquently bloviated corporate propaganda, enhanced with Oxycontin? Please be good little republicons and Assume the Position after you drink your kool aid, and let us together trash all this liberal fact shit."

- Rush 'Anal Pimple Military Wimpout Chichenhawk' Limbaugh,
your favorite republicon corporate propagandist

[FogerRox]

14. I have heard that oxy's are a Rush