Observing noctilucent clouds

Abstract

This manual and instruction book was written by a group of active researchers, both professional and amateur. There are chapters giving practical advice for taking visual observations, photographing the clouds with film or with video equipment. A summary of observations from space is included, as well as comments on the connection between noctilucent clouds, seen from the ground, and the polar mesospheric clouds that so far have been measured only from orbit. Noctilucent clouds are seen in the summer months, shining in the poleward sky at nighttime. Measurements show that the clouds are higher than any others. Lying at a height of 80-85 kilometers, the clouds mark a boundary between meteorology and space physics. This book is beautifully illustrated with photographs, and will help everyone recognize and appreciate these sailors in the summer night.