Click Here to Subscribe to Curious History
Rare Nacreous Clouds
Also called polar stratospheric clouds or mother of pearl clouds, nacreous clouds are mostly visible within two hours after sunset or before dawn. They blaze unbelievably bright with vivid, iridescent colors. These clouds are rare and occur in the polar stratosphere at altitudes of 15,000–25,000 meters. They are so bright because at those heights, they are still sunlit.
Although incredibly beautiful, they have a negative impact on our atmosphere. They create ozone holes by supporting chemical reactions that produce active chlorine which catalyzes ozone destruction.
(Source: zmescience.com)
Long exposure picture of a Lightning Bolt hitting a tree!
Spectacular Display of the Northern Lights in Norway
It is easy to see why our ancestors were in awe of this magisterial display. Cowering lest they be sucked into the skies, they imagined that what they were seeing were the spirits of the dead; they saw warriors with burning swords, shoals of shimmering fish, the reflections of departed maidens. They felt it was dangerous to be outside.
(Source: telegraph.co.uk)
Auroras Across the World
These auroras where photographed by both amateurs and professionals. An aurora is a natural light display in the sky, usually in the high latitude (Arctic and Antarctic) regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the thermosphere. The charged particles originate in the magnetosphere and are directed by the Earth’s magnetic field into the atmosphere.
To see hundreds more auroras and beautiful sky phenomena, visit NASA’s collection here.
