The Briefing Room
General Category => Science, Technology and Knowledge => Topic started by: Elderberry on January 01, 2020, 02:15:30 pm
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Electroverse by Cap Allon 1/1/2020
A spectacular display of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) that began two days ago (https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2019/12/31/once-in-a-lifetime-polar-stratospheric-clouds/) is still going strong around the Arctic Circle, reports spaceweather.com (https://spaceweather.com/archive.php).
The below photograph was shot by Per-Anders Gustavsson in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden on December 31, and reveals why some onlookers have mistaken the phenomenon for daytime auroras.
“The colors were amazing,†said Gustavsson, who drives a tour bus for Visit Abisko. “I’ve seen a lot of beautiful things during my years in the Arctic. This was easily one of the greatest displays I have ever seen.â€
Polar stratospheric clouds are newsworthy because the stratosphere usually has no clouds at all. The stratosphere is arid and almost always transparent. Only when the temperature drops to a staggeringly cold -85C (-121F) can sparse water molecules assemble themselves into icy stratospheric clouds.
PSCs are far more rare than auroras, and they are even visible at night — as shown in the below photo taken by Fredrik Broms in Kvaløya, Norway on December 31.
More: https://electroverse.net/once-in-a-lifetime-polar-stratospheric-clouds-still-going-strong-around-the-arctic-circle/ (https://electroverse.net/once-in-a-lifetime-polar-stratospheric-clouds-still-going-strong-around-the-arctic-circle/)
(https://i0.wp.com/electroverse.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/PSCs-1.jpg?w=520&ssl=1)