Space Cloud Watch
During summer months at high latitudes, just before dawn or just after sunset, cloudwatchers look up to catch the eerie glow of noctilucent clouds. Noctilucent, or night-shining clouds, are so high up in the atmosphere, they catch the sunlight from the over-the-horizon Sun and appear to glow. The range of noctilucent clouds has changed over time, and scientists need your help tracking that change! Your photos and reports can unlock clues about Earth's evolving atmospheric system. Join the ranks of Space Cloud Watchers and share your sightings of noctilucent clouds - or their absence - to help decode their mysteries.
Project task
Collecting data
division
Heliophysics
where & When
Outdoors just before dawn or just after sunset: high latitudes
launched
2025
What you’ll do
- Watch the sky at dawn and dusk for noctilucent clouds (NLCs).
- Upload your photos and observations to a website to contribute to research on Earth’s middle atmosphere (mesosphere).
- Take note of when noctilucent clouds are absent, so you can report that too!
Requirements
- Time: 10-20 minutes
- Equipment: Camera, smartphone or GPS receiver
- Knowledge: No prior knowledge necessary
Get started!
- Visit the project website.
- Log in to CitSci.org and click the Join button to join the project.
- Click the Get Started button to read the “Observing and Reporting NLCs” instructions.
- On summer dawns and dusks in the high latitudes, look up and take photos. Record the date, time, location and what types of clouds you saw.
- Click on "+Add Data" in the banner to report your observations and upload any photos you took.
Learn More
Check out the project’s Resources tab for tips on making observations and more information about the science of noctilucent clouds.
