Search icon

News

30th Dec 2019

“Very rare” stratospheric clouds expected to be visible over Ireland this week

Rudi Kinsella

UFO Ireland

This is something you won’t want to miss.

Christmas is sadly coming to an end, but it’s not all doom and gloom.

The beginning of a new year (and decade) could mark the beginning of a new you.

Plus, it might be nice to stop eating nothing but leftover turkey and chocolates throughout the day…

But for now, we’re still in a festive mode, and the weather reflects that.

According to the Donegal Weather Channel, it will be cold enough over Ireland and the UK for polar stratospheric nacreous clouds to form.

These type of clouds form at an altitude of 15,000–25,000 meters (49,000–82,000 ft) and are are best observed during civil twilight (the period after sunset or before sunrise ending) when the sun is between one and six degrees below the horizon.

Take a look at an example of these types of clouds seen in Norway here:

Clip via Steinar Midtskogen

Pretty damn cool, right?

It is said that these clouds are “very rare” at these latitudes and can only be seen every few years.

Nacreous clouds are made with a mixture of supercooled water, ice crystals and nitric acid. And like we said, they look class.

Here’s hoping we get to see some.

LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge

Topics:

clouds,Weather