Noctilucent Clouds

NASA is launching experimental rockets to study and observe noctilucent clouds, says NASA.

On Saturday night, hundreds of the Americans saw frightening illuminations on the sky and called the local news stations. The residents of the area saw a conical shape lightening in the sky and were frightened. They immediately called to 911 and local news stations. News channels from New Jersey to Massachusetts received calls from many who got worried to see the light in the sky. NASA explained the news channels that it resulted due to the launch of an experimental rocket by the space agency.

NASA launched an experimental rocket to study and examine the noctilucent clouds around 7 p.m. on Saturday. When the launch occurred, many people called in the news channels to inquire about the strange lights in the sky. The calls were made from an area as far as Boston. Boston is located at 380 miles away from the launch station.

NASA’s Black Brant XII was launched this Saturday to create an artificial cloud in the highest atmospheric region of the earth. At this high attitudes 76-85km, noctilucent clouds exist. Noctilucent clouds are also called polar clouds and most commonly, you can observe them in summer. Noctilucent clouds are not visible to the naked eye but only when they are elucidated by the sun light at horizon. These clouds are not made of water but of water crystals. There were first observed in 1885.

NASA said that these rockets will help to track the noctilucent and understand the highest clouds on earth.