Atmospheric Optics

Noctilucent clouds are phenomena seen during the summer twilight (June and July for the northern hemisphere and December and January for the southern). It is caused by sunlight striking stratus clouds at a height of around 82km.

Honor Wheeler’s Images

“I was holidaying in Kelling and had the very good luck of seeing Noctilucent Clouds on the last night I was there.

Below are some images I managed to snap. I must admit that the clouds were so extensive that I didn’t think they were NLC’s! I was not prepared either, the only lens I had on me was a 70 – 300 lens which didn’t do the scale of the clouds justice. “

Honor

Simon Dawes’ Images

Martin Crow’s Images

Images by Jim Burchell

Image by Jim Burchell A collage of NLC’S taken last year on the 12/07/20 Pentax K70 31mm f6.3 10 sec iso 400.

Multiple Phenomena

If you are observant you will occasionally be rewarded with multiple phenomena in the sky as these images by members show.

Martin Crow’s Images

Honor Wheeler’s Images

Atmospheric Optic Picture of the Day

Our very own Honor Wheeler makes Optics Picture of the Day (20/03/2010) at the world renowned site for extra special atmospheric optics. “I live in Kent, in the Southeast of England and so don’t usually expect complexity in a halo display as the conditions are never quit right. Today, however, I was amazed and excited to photograph sundogs, a partial 22deg halo, an upper tangent arc, a Parry arc, circumzenithal arc and a partial supralateral arc. I’ve photographed all but the supralateral arc separately before but never all together! These photos were taken between 15.34 and 15.41UT but overall the display lasted for approx 20 minutes with the circumzenithal arc lasting the longest.”

If you have HaloSim installed, run the simulation yourself after downloading the simulation file kent.sim