夜光云

2020 June 19

The Veins of Heaven
Image Credit & Copyright: Ruslan Merzlyakov (RMS Photography)

Explanation: Transfusing sunlight through a darkened sky, this beautiful display of noctilucent clouds was captured earlier this week, reflected in calm waters from Nykobing Mors, Denmark. From the edge of space, about 80 kilometers above Earth’s surface, the icy clouds themselves still reflect sunlight, though the Sun is below the horizon as seen from the ground. Usually spotted at high latitudes in summer months the night shining clouds have made an early appearance this year as northern nights grow short. Also known as polar mesopheric clouds they are understood to form as water vapor driven into the cold upper atmosphere condenses on the fine dust particles supplied by disintegrating meteors or volcanic ash. NASA’s AIM mission provides daily projections of noctilucent clouds as seen from space.

Tomorrow’s picture: solstice in space

夜光云
图像提供与版权：Ruslan Merzlyakov （RMS Photography)

说明：这幅摄于这星期初的影像里，这片美丽的夜光云除了看似在往夜空输送阳光之外，也倒映在丹麦·尼克宾摩斯附近的平静水面上。当时太阳已没入地平面之下，但位在太空边缘、离地表约80公里高的的这片冰晶云，仍然在反射阳光。通常出现在夏季地球高纬度地方的夜光云，在今年夏天降临黑夜开始缩短时，就大举出现。这类亦名为极区中气层云的云种，咸信是被输送到酷寒上层大气的水气，凝结在碎裂流星或火山灰尘埃微粒所形成的。美国航天总署的AIM任务，每日提供从太空观测到的夜光云之投影。

明日的图片：solstice in space