Reporting Noctilucent Cloud

Amateur observations of NLC remain of great value to professional scientists studying upper-atmosphere phenomena. Formal reports should always include the following information.
A typical NLC report will look similar to the 'sample' NLC report' below:

Reports should be sent to your local organisation.

The following are known reporting centres:

Observer's Location

Give your name and the latitude and longitude of the place observations were made. Alternatively, give the name of the nearest town or city.

Date

Use the "double-date" convention. That is, "June 21-22" would refer to the night of the 21st through to the early hours of the 22nd, irrespective of which side of midnight the NLC appeared.

Time

Try always to use universal time (UT) which is based on the Greenwich meridian at 0 degrees. Locations east and west of Greenwich will have to make the simple conversion to UT, always remember to make appropriate adjustments for any daylight saving time which may be applied to your civil time zone.

NLC Details To Include In Reports

All the above details should be combined with your visual and/or photographic observations and sent to the appropriate organisation.

Sample Report

The following is a typical example of a formal noctilucent cloud report: 
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NOCTILUCENT CLOUD REPORT


OBSERVER:  Tom McEwan
LOCATION:  Glengarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland:  Lat 55.45N Long 04.40 W
DATE:      Year Month Double-Date  (eg 1996 July 04-05)

Time      Elevation
UT        h        /  Azimuth   Forms  Bright'  Notes

2300-0000                                       No NLC noted in clear sky.
0005      0       10  340-020   II          1   Faint bands through cloud.
0015      0       10  340-020   II          1   Faint bands through cloud.
0025-0040                                       Overcast in north.
0045      0       12   North    II          2   Moderate bands through cloud.
0100      0       15  325-045   I,IIa       2   Bright in NNE-NE, otherwise faint.
0115      0       18   ? -055   I,II        2   Little change. In cloud to W.
0130      0       21  320-060   I,IIa       2   Strong, bright bands in north.
0145      0       28  310-070   I,IIa,IIIa  3   Waves in NE.
0200      4       52  300-080   I,IIa,IIIb  2   Faint in W-N. Complex waves in NE.
0215      0       30   NE-E     IIa,IIIa    1-2 Patches of NLC in brightening sky.

No further observations.
**********************************************************************************

Where To Send Reports

The principal organisations who routinely collect and process NLC reports in the Northern Hemisphere are:
 
 
NORTH AMERICA AND CANADA:

NLC CAN AM
Mark Zalcik
#7 14130 80 Street
Edmonton, AB
T5C 1L6 Canada
E-mail - Mark Zalcik

UK AND NORTHWEST EUROPE:

BAA Aurora Section
Dr David Gavine
29 Coillesdene Crescent
EDINBURGH EH15 2JJ
SCOTLAND
UK
 
 
FINLAND:

 
Atmospheric Optics Section / Veikko Mäkelä

Ursa Astronomical Association
Raatimiehenkatu 3 A 2
FIN-00140 HELSINKI
FINLAND
E-Mail - Veikko Makela
DENMARK:
 
Jens Jacobsen

Syrenvej 6, Egeskov
7000 Fredericia
Denmark.

Phone : +45 75 95 79 78

Email: Skaar@post6.tele.dk

 
GERMANY:

 
Juergen Rendtel

AKM
PF 600118
D-14401 Potsdam
GERMANY
E-Mail - Juergen Rendtel

 

 

INTERNET:
No official Internet location receives NLC reports on a formal basis. Nonetheless, reports can be submitted to this site and will then feature in our progress reports over each season. However, always ensure that your original reports are sent to the organisation appropriate to your location.

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Last Updated on 18/07/96