Stunning new Nasa footage shows ‘night-glowing’ clouds swirling 50 miles (80 km) above Antarctica.
The clouds give off a shocking blue haze when ice crystals fixed to tiny particles of ‘meteor dust’ high in the atmosphere reflect sunlight.
The unusual phenomena are called ‘noctilucent clouds’ and occur twice a year.
The cloud groups are formed 50 miles (80 km) above the surface of the Earth and are being directly observed by Nasa’s Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere, or AIM, spacecraft.
Known as ‘night-shining’ clouds, they are formed during the summer of both the northern and southern hemispheres, according to Nasa.
The clouds form during the summers due to the high humidity and the increased amount of moisture in the air.
During these times, it is also the coldest place on Earth, hitting temperatures as low as -135°C (-210°F) as a result of air flow patterns.
‘The current season began on Nov. 19th,’ says Cora Randall, a member of the AIM science team at the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.
Known as ‘night-shining’ clouds, they are formed during the summer of both the northern and southern hemispheres, according to Nasa. AIM is a satellite mission which is dedicated to the observation of the bright blue clouds
Noctilucent clouds happen in the summer of the northern and southern hemispheres as the increased humidity aids the formation around the ‘meteor dust’. Image captured by the Nasa satellite AIM (Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere) (file image)
‘Compared to previous years of AIM data, this season seems to be fairly average, but of course one never knows what surprises lie ahead, particularly since the southern hemisphere seasons are so variable.’
The clouds form in the mesosphere, between 47 and 53 miles above Earth’s surface (76-85 km), according to the space agency.
Noctilucent clouds are the highest formed on Earth.
Noctilucent clouds are the highest on the planet. They occur in the mesosphere around 50 miles (80km) above the surface and when the water molecules reflect sunlight they give off a blue hue (stock)
AIM is a satellite mission which is dedicated to the observation of the bright blue clouds.
It was launched in 2007 and orbits at a height of 370 miles (600 km) above Earth.
Weather patterns can have a dramatic effect on the Antarctic, recent research found that El Niño and La Niña events influence snowfall and melting on some ice shelves of the continent.