An incredible sight, noctilucent clouds return

Incredible noctilucent clouds can now be seen above the northern horizon in the high latitudes.

With a little bit of luck, people at latitudes between 45 and 80 degrees north and south will be able to see stunning noctilucent clouds. These incredible clouds can be seen from mid-May until the end of July in the northern hemisphere.

Noctilucent clouds are made up of ice crystals. During the summer the mesosphere becomes cold enough to allow ice to form on suspended dust particles floating in the atmosphere. The dust particles may originate from micrometeorites falling to Earth from space, or the dust left over from volcanic eruptions.

These clouds form 47 to 53 miles above the Earth's surface, making them the world's highest clouds.