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I
predicted aurora lights across north pole, but
instead these were shining nocturnal clouds. A
very near miss...
ELECTRIC BLUE SUNSETS:
The 2011 season for Noctilucent clouds is
gaining steam. Reports of electric-blue sunsets
are now coming in from all the countries of
northern Europe, Russia, Alaska and Canada. "We
had our first sighting of NLCs on June 28th,"
reports Alan Dyer. He took this picture from
Gleichen in southern Alberta:
"It was quite bright at 11:45 pm MDT local
time and faded shortly after midnight," he says.
"A nice display!"
Back in the 19th century,
these
mysterious clouds were confined to high
latitudes, mainly around the poles. In recent
years, however, NLCs have spread toward the
equator, appearing in places such as Utah,
Colorado, and perhaps even Virginia. Is this a
sign of climate change? Some researchers
think so. Sky watchers at all latitudes are
encouraged to be alert for electric blue just
after sunset or before sunrise; observing tips
may be found in the
2011 NLC gallery.
dipender chhikara |
