NASA's appeal to the world's population

NASA recently put out a call for people to help observe and record mysterious glowing clouds known as "polar mesospheric clouds".

These fascinating clouds form about 80 kilometers above the Earth's surface, in the mesosphere, particularly near the poles during the summer period. They are the highest clouds on the planet and are composed of ice crystals and meteorite debris, giving them a distinctive electric blue colour.

NASA's interest in these formations stems from the fact that their presence has begun to be detected in mid- and low-latitudes, and no longer limited to the polar regions where they usually appear. This raises questions about the atmospheric processes involved and the impact they could have on the climate and dynamics of Earth's upper atmosphere.

The US agency invites anyone who takes photos of these clouds to submit them as part of the "Space Cloud Watch" project, which involves collaboration between citizen scientists and specialists. Images submitted by the public will be combined with satellite data and simulations, with the aim of better understanding how and why these clouds form and why they appear in certain places.

(MH with MaSi - Source : National Geographic - Photo : ©Unsplash)