In June 2007, the Space Shuttle crew visiting the International Space Station (ISS) observed spectacular polar mesospheric clouds over north-central Asia. TThe red-to-dark region at the bottom of the image is the dense part of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Published Aug 13, 2007
“Night-shining” clouds form at high altitudes in late spring and early summer.
Published Jun 25, 2012
Night-shining clouds high in the atmosphere over the southern polar region appear in shades of blue and orange in this astronaut photo from January 30, 2010.
Published Feb 22, 2010
Noctilucent or “night shining” clouds form near the boundary of the mesosphere and thermosphere.
Published Jan 21, 2013
Normally seen only at twilight, polar mesospheric clouds are illuminated by “sunrise” in this astronaut photo from June 16, 2010.
Published Jul 5, 2010
An astronaut on the ISS caught a glimpse of a sliver of the setting Moon and some clouds that shine at night.
Published Aug 10, 2003
The rare night-shining clouds seen in this photo are both forming more frequently and becoming brighter, trends that point to changes in the atmosphere linked to greenhouse gases.
Published Jan 27, 2011
Some astronauts say these wispy, iridescent clouds are the most beautiful phenomena they see from orbit.
Published Aug 20, 2013
High-altitude night-shining clouds form and dissipate on a daily cycle revealed in this series of images made from data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument on NASA’s Aura satellite.
Published Jan 28, 2011
