A chance to spot rare and mysterious noctilucent clouds

At this time of year in the northern hemisphere, just after the sun sets, these mysterious clouds can appear in the west

It's time to watch for the beautiful cloud formations known as noctilucent clouds. Latin for night shining", noctilucent clouds are seasonal and become visible in the northern hemisphere from late spring/early summer.

Although unpredictable, when they do appear they will be seen in the western sky about half an hour after the sun sets. As the sky darkens into night, they will shine with an extraordinary electric blue colour.