Noctilucent Clouds over Spokane

July 23rd 2009

On the evening of July 23rd, Alan Birdsell spotted noctilucent clouds over western Spokane.

These clouds are located much higher (about 50 miles) than the typical clouds (0-12 miles). They are most frequently visible at higher latitudes (50-70N) during the summer. They are composed entirely of ice and typically are invisble during the day. The best time for viewing them is after sunset during the twilight hours.