NAmazingly white clouds even though it’s dark?  It could be the effect of sunlight on the upper atmosphere illuminating the clouds (up 50k in altitude) when the surface of the earth is in darkness. These noctilucent clouds can be truly spectacular!

noctilucent clouds form leahsweather.wordpress.com

And today I’m tying in my Natural Phenomena theme for the A to Z Challenge with this month’s prompt from Bruce Gargoyle’s Fiction in 50 challenge

The Trouble with Clouds

The mother ship checked the sensors as the probe penetrated the layers of Jupiter’s atmosphere: carbon dioxide, hydrochloroethane, hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid.

The readings garbled.

The signal broke up.

When would they find a coating that didn’t dissolve in the clouds? They had to invent it before gravity took over.

 

Come back next month to see the result of the next prompt for Fiction in 50 Words.  I post on the third Wednesday of the month to link the following Monday with  participants worldwide. Do join in!

Fi50

 

Pictures from Leahsweather.wordpress.com and soundofheart.org via Google images

Noctilucent clouds
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7 thoughts on “Noctilucent clouds

  • 16 April, 2015 at 9:40 am
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    I’ve been over-zealous with my ⌗Fi50 this month – mainly because I’ve lost track of which day of the week it is! Two helpings, then – generosity itself. Today’s is on theme, at least.

    • 16 April, 2015 at 5:57 pm
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      Aw, who’s counting? A nasty dilemma aboard that ship…

  • 16 April, 2015 at 11:07 am
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    Those clouds look like water ripples! So pretty. 🙂

  • 16 April, 2015 at 6:23 pm
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    Spectacular clouds, Jemima. I don’t believe I have ever seen them. Good flash fiction, too and a reasonable problem we’ll have to deal with whenever we get there. Sounds like the Mars mission is going to be one way…

  • 17 May, 2015 at 2:37 pm
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    Hi Jemima .. love the word Noctilucent … and learning about these clouds .. and how the light affects them even though we’re in darkness … light is an amazing subject … but these clouds are beautiful .. cheers Hilary

    • 17 May, 2015 at 5:54 pm
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      According to spaceweather.com the season for them in the northern hemisphere is just starting!

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