Antarctic Men See Rare Night Clouds

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31121, 26 July 1966, Page 1

Antarctic Men See Rare Night Clouds

(Special Correspondent N.Z P.AJ SCOTT BASE, July 25. Rare 50-mile-high luminous night clouds were photographed from Scott Base on the afternoon of July 23.

The clouds —the highest that occur in the earth’s atmosphere are thought to be composed of ice-covered particles of meteoritic dust from space. They are illuminated by the sun, and are best seen at high latitudes when the sun is between six and 16 degrees below the horizon. The clouds are 40 miles above the zone of the earth’s weather, and appear as beautiful pearly white veils, bands, or waves, in the zone between the twilight arch and the horizon. 1*

t Until 1964 there had been • only three reported sightings • of the clouds in the southern • hemisphere. i The Scott Base clouds were I first seen by a meteorological i observer, Mr R. Vickers, of i Wellington. i He alerted senior scientist, Dr. A. Porter, who photo- ; graphed them. They appeared > as three parallel bands to the • north-west A closer watch is now being i kept for the clouds which may i travel at speeds of up to 400 miles an Jour.