Silver clouds in the sky. The time has come to observe their silver clouds. Where does this phenomenon come from?

They look like delicate, luminous streaks. Silver clouds are one of the most unusual atmospheric phenomena that can be observed from the ground. Their mysterious glow usually appears low above the northern horizon just after dark – right now, in June and July, we have the best opportunity to spot them.

– Silver clouds are unique clouds that are formed extremely high – up to 100 kilometers above the surface of our planet. They are actually suspended in space or very close to the border spacemainly in so -called mesopause. It is a layer with a very low temperature, reaching even minus 100 degrees Celsius – explains Damian Jabłek, deputy director of the Silesian Planetarium at Chorzów And the author of the blog “Touch Heaven”.

Silver clouds are formed from microscopic ice crystals that arise at heights inaccessible to ordinary clouds. Interestingly, although they form throughout the year, they are best visible in summer months, when the sun after sunset still gently illuminates the highest layers of atmosphere.

– Sun Muska atmosphere, and ice crystals distract this sunlight and make us see shiny, light clouds – describes Damian Jabłek.

Their source does not have to be located directly above us – from the south of Poland we can observe the phenomena occurring even a thousand kilometers away, e.g. on the Baltic Sea. The clouds take colors from silver -white to blue, to red. An interesting fact is that the colors are different than at sunset: red appears higher, and blue – closer to the horizon.

Where does water vapor come from the atmosphere border with space? Scientists still do not know this question. One of the hypotheses talks about microcometers – ice particles traveling through space. Other theories indicate volcanic dusts, meteoroid particles or residues after space explosions. All these microscopic elements can be a nucleus of condensation, on which water vapor freezes, creating ice crystals.

But more and more indicates that man can also affect their formation.

– I like the theory that says that our space flights affect the formation of silver clouds. Rockets with their exhaust gases scatter the nuclei of condensation, around which these ice crystals can form. Just then silver clouds form. It seems quite well proven theory. If there are more flights, then silver clouds are visible in larger quantities. Perhaps, when Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski goes into space in June, silver clouds will also be a trace of his racket. It is not known if it will be so, but it would probably be a beautiful phenomenon – indicates Damian Jabłek.

Silver clouds are not only a rare example of mesosphere clouds – it is also one of the most photogenic phenomena in the summer sky. To observe them, it is enough to look at the northern horizon after dark, preferably from a place away from the city lights.

Their sight sometimes resembles aurora – Equally mysterious and amazing. And although fleeting and difficult to predict, they remind us of how many unknown phenomena our atmosphere hides and how close the border between heaven and space is close.