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Noctilucent clouds (NLCs), or night shining clouds, [1] are tenuous cloud-like phenomena in the upper atmosphere of Earth. When viewed from space, they are called polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) , detectable as a diffuse scattering layer of water ice crystals near the summer polar mesopause .
The clouds do not become that color; they are reflecting long and unscattered rays of sunlight, which are predominant at those hours. The effect is much like if a person were to shine a red spotlight on a white sheet. In combination with large, mature thunderheads this can produce blood-red clouds.
Skyglow is significantly amplified by the presence of snow, and within and near urban areas when clouds are present. [7] In remote areas, snow brightens the sky, but clouds make the sky darker. In remote areas on moonless nights clouds appear dark against the sky. In or near developed areas skyglow is strongly enhanced by clouds.
The common phrase "red sky at morning" is a line from an ancient rhyme often repeated with variants by mariners [1] and others: Red sky at night, sailors' delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.
Airglow over Auvergne, France Yellow, green and red bands of airglow along Earth's limb as seen from space. Airglow (also called nightglow ) is a faint emission of light by a planetary atmosphere . In the case of Earth's atmosphere , this optical phenomenon causes the night sky never to be completely dark, even after the effects of starlight ...
A sprite over Southeast Asia as seen from space.. Sprites or red sprites are large-scale electric discharges that occur in the mesosphere, high above thunderstorm clouds, or cumulonimbus, giving rise to a varied range of visual shapes flickering in the night sky.
The Rayleigh sky causes a clearly defined polarization pattern under many different circumstances. The degree of polarization however, does not always remain consistent and may in fact decrease in different situations. The Rayleigh sky may undergo depolarization due to nearby objects such as clouds and large reflecting surfaces such as the ocean.
Paranal Observatory nights. [3] The concept of noctcaelador tackles the aesthetic perception of the night sky. [4]Depending on local sky cloud cover, pollution, humidity, and light pollution levels, the stars visible to the unaided naked eye appear as hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of white pinpoints of light in an otherwise near black sky together with some faint nebulae or clouds ...