Home   News   Article

WATCH: What exactly was that in the Highland sky?


By Gavin Musgrove

Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.



Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!

A rare atmospheric phenomena was spotted in the sky above Strathspey yesterday, much to the delight of onlookers.

Nacreous clouds occur at very high altitude and are illuminated from below and often glow in vivid colours.

Boat of Garten resident and keen photographer and astronomer Graham Hazlegreaves caught this footage and pictures of the two large thin discs of cloud from his garden.

RELATED: PHOTO: Ross-shire sky looking picture perfect this morning

He can be heard saying this is 'this is just getting better' and 'absolutely stunning' as he captured the rare clouds.

The base height of the clouds often occurs at more than 50,000 feet.

Spooky sighting. Mr Hazlegreaves explained: "This a still image from last night. It was very surreal and ethereal because the very thin stratus cloud was letting the colours through. The video was from a few minutes later after the low cloud cleared revealing the high nacreous clouds."
Spooky sighting. Mr Hazlegreaves explained: "This a still image from last night. It was very surreal and ethereal because the very thin stratus cloud was letting the colours through. The video was from a few minutes later after the low cloud cleared revealing the high nacreous clouds."

Mr Hazlegreaves said: "The video was captured on my iPhone at 5pm from my garden in Boat of Garten. The video shows nacreous clouds which typically are visible when the sun is between 1-6 degrees below the horizon.

"Nacreous clouds are also known a Polar Stratospheric Clouds which form in the polar regions during the winter period.

"Nacreous clouds form in the stratosphere at altitudes of 49,000 feet and 82,000 feet and comprise of either small ice crystals or super-cooled water droplets which refract the sunlight creating the typically iridescent rainbow colours.

"The best time of day to see them is around dawn or dusk."

In old English word 'Nacre' means 'mother of Pearl'.

• Video kindly supplied by Graham Hazlegreaves.

Weather-related picture from Ross-shire to share? Get in touch by emailing newsdesk@hnmedia.co.uk


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More