Tribute to Planet Earth 🌎 ♥️

This photo was taken by a hiker near the "Cirque of Givarnie" in the Pyrénées Mountains. This is a noctulescent cloud.

View attachment 44547

may i suggest...

that this is not a noctilucent cloud ?

1) Mainly because Noctilucent Clouds in principle never are multi colorful, but more like monochrome electric blue looking in appearance.

They only appear when the sun is 6-11 degrees below the horizon and only during summer month (over the northern hemisphere). Now noctilucent clouds have increased, and become visible at lower latitudes, e.g Paris - albeit low above the horizon. The Pyrénées mountains I believe are too much in the south to even show any Noctilucent clouds.

2) the cloud on the photo - does have an interesting appearance because on one hand - it looks like a very thin Altocumulus translucidus cloud layer, which when the atmosphere starts to warm up at sunrise, can create these “holes” and “bubbles” (and then alltogether dissolving)

I have seen these over the island of Stromboli, north of Sicily (Italy) during runrise. Outmost beautiful, and with exactly the same shapes. But not multicolored. This could in theory happen, if the Altocumulus cloud is higher than usual, containing ice crystals.

But i have not seen them in multi colors like this with such strong colors (unless it was enhanced in photoshop !) clouds can have faint rainbow-ish colors occationally - but not that strong.

So called “sundogs” can have strong colors (in the presence of cirrus clouds and sun) but look very different (more dot or ellipsoid like - but they are covering only a very small area)

3) then there are so called Polar Stratospheric Clouds or “Nacreous Clouds” which do sometimes can have rather strong colors.

They appear in winter, in the Polar regions, over mountain chains in the north, with extreme wind speeds and exceptionally low temperatures in the stratosphere. Those often glow crazy strong, even after sunset and remind a bit of ufo’s sometimes.

I have seen that twice in my life over Stockholm. Very strange and fascinating clouds. The strong light emitted in comparison to other clouds, makes them exceptional !! So, they are rare phenomenas, especially outside of mountain chains high in the north. And antarctica.

My guess is that the image shows a thin layer of Altocumulus translucidus clouds which are about to dissolve at sunrise - and somebody wanted to impress by handsomely cranking up the saturation slider in photoshop.

Nevertheless - i do love the photo, colors and shape of those clouds. They usually do not last very long !

(since I am at work, I can’t show you images i have taken from the various ones just described)

slider
 
may i suggest...

that this is not a noctilucent cloud ?

1) Mainly because Noctilucent Clouds in principle never are multi colorful, but more like monochrome electric blue looking in appearance.

They only appear when the sun is 6-11 degrees below the horizon and only during summer month (over the northern hemisphere). Now noctilucent clouds have increased, and become visible at lower latitudes, e.g Paris - albeit low above the horizon. The Pyrénées mountains I believe are too much in the south to even show any Noctilucent clouds.

2) the cloud on the photo - does have an interesting appearance because on one hand - it looks like a very thin Altocumulus translucidus cloud layer, which when the atmosphere starts to warm up at sunrise, can create these “holes” and “bubbles” (and then alltogether dissolving)

I have seen these over the island of Stromboli, north of Sicily (Italy) during runrise. Outmost beautiful, and with exactly the same shapes. But not multicolored. This could in theory happen, if the Altocumulus cloud is higher than usual, containing ice crystals.

But i have not seen them in multi colors like this with such strong colors (unless it was enhanced in photoshop !) clouds can have faint rainbow-ish colors occationally - but not that strong.

So called “sundogs” can have strong colors (in the presence of cirrus clouds and sun) but look very different (more dot or ellipsoid like - but they are covering only a very small area)

3) then there are so called Polar Stratospheric Clouds or “Nacreous Clouds” which do sometimes can have rather strong colors.

They appear in winter, in the Polar regions, over mountain chains in the north, with extreme wind speeds and exceptionally low temperatures in the stratosphere. Those often glow crazy strong, even after sunset and remind a bit of ufo’s sometimes.

I have seen that twice in my life over Stockholm. Very strange and fascinating clouds. The strong light emitted in comparison to other clouds, makes them exceptional !! So, they are rare phenomenas, especially outside of mountain chains high in the north. And antarctica.

My guess is that the image shows a thin layer of Altocumulus translucidus clouds which are about to dissolve at sunrise - and somebody wanted to impress by handsomely cranking up the saturation slider in photoshop.

Nevertheless - i do love the photo, colors and shape of those clouds. They usually do not last very long !

(since I am at work, I can’t show you images i have taken from the various ones just described)

slider
I also thought it was photoshopped or saturated, but apparently the website "Meteo France" (this is our national weather company) certified it was an original photo 🤷‍♀️. Thanks for explaining all the differences, I thought a cloud with colors was automatically named a "noctulescent cloud". As for its unusual place of appearance, it was taken in March this year. We've had a pretty cold winter, maybe that's why it was able to appear this South of the Poles.
If you ever have time, it would be nice if you could show us the photos you've taken.
 
I also thought it was photoshopped or saturated, but apparently the website "Meteo France" (this is our national weather company) certified it was an original photo 🤷‍♀️. Thanks for explaining all the differences, I thought a cloud with colors was automatically named a "noctulescent cloud". As for its unusual place of appearance, it was taken in March this year. We've had a pretty cold winter, maybe that's why it was able to appear this South of the Poles.
If you ever have time, it would be nice if you could show us the photos you've taken.

Yes, I love to @ryu 💕thank you
I have now found the three representative clouds in my photo archive, I was talking about earlier.


Polar Stratospheric Clouds or "Nacreous Clouds"
Stromboli Volcano, Sicily, South Italy, Sep 2008

First out are the funny looking "spiderweb" clouds, made of Altocumulus translucidus in Southern Italy. What was striking (and reality was much better than the photos), was the fine strange details in the clouds. In reality it all looked more "ethereal" or "airy" compared to photos.

2010-09-24-06-47-27-2.jpg

2010-09-24-06-43-47.jpg



Polar Stratospheric Clouds or "Nacreous Clouds"
Stockholm, Jan 2008

They started out at sunset like white looking clouds (not so spectacular in any way), but slightly brighter and very white (not yellow or orange which clouds often do at sunset). But once the sun sets deeper below the horizon - that is when the magic appears: they start to shine so unusual bright... unreal bright - while all other clouds remain dark (since they are much lower located, and aren't illuminated by the sun anymore).

With these strange, and very very rare clouds outside of mountain chains in the north, you do get a feeling of "ufo's". In Sweden we call these "Pärlemor moln", which is translated, the appearance of a white shell which has subtle rainbow colors embedded. (Mother of Pearl ?)

I have only seen these two times in my life, over Stockholm, I believe Dec 2002 and Jan 2008. Only once, I had the camera with me (while driving the subway).

2008-01-24-16-00-15.jpg

2008-01-24-16-09-37.jpg



Noctilucent Clouds
Stockholm, July 2018 + July 2019

And finally the classic summer night clouds, which only can be seen a while after sunset - but then disappear again, as the sun goes even deeper. They have this stunning electrical blue kind of color and look like spider webs (sort of). With faint details embedded, often like glowing bluish streaks. Since they are extremely high located, I believe around 80-85 km, they are still lit by the sun. All other clouds remain dark. It requires a temperature of -83°C, (-117.4°F) for these to appear.

2018-07-26-02-25-14.jpg

2019-07-14-22-59-21.jpg
 
Polar Stratospheric Clouds or "Nacreous Clouds" Altocumulus translucidus
Stromboli Volcano, Sicily, South Italy, Sep 2008

First out are the funny looking "spiderweb" clouds, made of Altocumulus translucidus in Southern Italy. What was striking (and reality was much better than the photos), was the fine strange details in the clouds. In reality it all looked more "ethereal" or "airy" compared to photos.

Ooops I made a Cut & Paste error

It was supposed to be "Altocumulus translucidus" for the first two photos.
 
"The Importance of Emotion in Landscape Photography"
made by Nigel Danson

He is in my view, a stunning fine art landscape photographer with a keen eye for the fine details, yet large scenery combined with such a wonderful sense of emotion. The kind of "Ansel Adams" sensitivity, but in Color. It all goes way beyond the point-and-shoot mentality. I am sure he got lots of hours and kilometers under his belt, waiting for that special extra capturing his eye. This is from an article in DPreview with the title "The importance of Emotion in Landscape Photography" (7 Feb 2020)

3DSC_2416-Edit.jpeg
_____"Iceland"


_DSC2493-Edit-Edit.jpeg
_____"Passing Storm"


_DSF1884-Edit.jpeg
_____"Winter Colour, Lake District"


_DSC3737-Pano-2-Edit.jpeg
_____"Kalsoy Lighthouse, Faroe Islands"


_DSC1776-Edit-Edit.jpeg
_____"The Power of Imagination" (Faroe Islands ?)
 
Airglow over Easter Island
by Yuri Beletsky, 2 Oct 2016

It just such a mesmerizing photo... making you wonder if you are located on earth or on a different planet, or perhaps a mix of two different worlds in one. Yuri Beletsky took this image at night at the Anakena Beach, on the eastern shore of Easter Island on 2 Oct 2016.

Out my own experience, I would suggest that the glow was either barely visible for the naked eye, or much duller compared to the photo. Both analog film as well digital cameras tend to "collect" especially red colors much stronger, than what the eye can see at night or dawn. Same goes for Northern Lights. They are often darker compared to photos (albeit really bright and clear exceptions do exist)


Yuri-Beletsky-anakena Beach, photo by Beletsky - Airglow over Easter Island 2 Oct 2016!!!!.jpg
 
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