The bleak reason behind beautiful night-shining clouds, according to science
Researchers say the phenomenon is’ an indicator of human-caused climate change’.
The highest clouds in the Earth’s atmosphere have generally been a rare and beautiful sight but scientists say they are now becoming more visible because of human activities.
A new study found noctilucent clouds – the silvery-blue (and sometimes reddish-orange) night-shining clouds that light up the skies – can be seen more frequently because of increased water vapour in the atmosphere.
Researchers say this phenomenon is “an indicator of human-caused climate change”.
Noctilucent clouds form when water vapour freezes around tiny particles of dust from meteors in the middle atmosphere (mesosphere) – around 50 miles above the Earth’s surface.
These clouds were first observed in 1885 after the eruption of Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia caused large amounts of water vapour to build up in the air.
