<p>Noctilucent clouds form during summer at high latitudes, such as between 50 and 70°N.  They are noctilucent because at their high elevation (80 km), the sun is still shining, although the sun is below the horizon at ground level.  Due to this high elevation, you can see them from several 100s of km south of their actual location.  This means the ideal viewing location is at around 55–60°N; the night there gets dark enough throughout the summer, while the noctilucent clouds a bit further north are still sunlit.  </p>

<p>If you go too far north, you will not see them very well, because the night will be too bright.  I lived for 5 years at 68°N, and although they could easily be detected by ground-based lidar, I never saw any myself.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-13T17:17:33.673Z
2014-07-14T12:35:49.993Z
2014-07-14T12:35:49.993Z
gerrit
<p>I saw many pictures of noctilucent clouds in the UK. Is it a phenomenon only visible in the UK or we can see it somewhere else?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-13T13:59:42.593Z
The [wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noctilucent_cloud) seems to be pretty complete.  It says that "They are most commonly observed in the summer months at latitudes between 50° and 70° north and south of the equator. They can be observed only when the Sun is below the horizon."
Chris Mueller
<clouds>
Where can we see the noctilucent clouds?
Archa
# Where can we see the noctilucent clouds?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-07-13)

I saw many pictures of noctilucent clouds in the UK. Is it a phenomenon only visible in the UK or we can see it somewhere else?

**Tags:** clouds

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The [wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noctilucent_cloud) seems to be pretty complete.  It says that "They are most commonly observed in the summer months at latitudes between 50° and 70° north and south of the equator. They can be observed only when the Sun is below the horizon."  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-07-13. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

Noctilucent clouds form during summer at high latitudes, such as between 50 and 70°N. They are noctilucent because at their high elevation (80 km), the sun is still shining, although the sun is below the horizon at ground level. Due to this high elevation, you can see them from several 100s of km south of their actual location. This means the ideal viewing location is at around 55–60°N; the night there gets dark enough throughout the summer, while the noctilucent clouds a bit further north are still sunlit.

If you go too far north, you will not see them very well, because the night will be too bright. I lived for 5 years at 68°N, and although they could easily be detected by ground-based lidar, I never saw any myself.


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