2011.05.31-01 Poland Lodz

[bloo777]

atmospheric-bloo.deviantart.com/art/2011-05-31-Noctilucent-Clouds-211167916
I'm not quite sure it it was NLC.
The sky was quite too bright as for a this late hour.
I started noticing strange structures from 05h-1h after sunset. The sky darkened non-unifromly. There were large patches of brighter sky, even over my head. Yet none of typical wavy structures I used to photograph. Just large blueish patches.

It's strange because seeing this over my head would mean that NLC were as low as 50N. 3 weeks before solstice. Almost impossible.

There is a photo under the link. The dark patches on the photo are Cirrus. All the help and all the opinions whether it is or isn't NLC highly appreciated.

[markt]

Hi there, welcome to the forum and thanks for your report!

Looking at the photo 'I think' what you have recorded here is cirrus silhouetting on the brighter bluish twlight arc - others will no doubt be able to advise on this aswell.

While there have been a few reports of NLC this season from various places, which seem to have been confirmed with high altitude radar observations, as of yet we've not seen a 'major display' to start the season with a bang. Keep watching though and the displays will come!

Mark

[Bill W]

Hi,
Great to have you aboard!
I've had a look at your picture and you might have some diffuse NLC bands in the upper part of the picture. Lower down things are a bit more obscured.
What you have captured is one of the problems that catches a lot of people out.
The gaps in the foreground cloud revealing the brighter sky behind makes the brain think there is something else there because of the contrast between the light and dark. It can be very deceiving especially when low down and close to the horizon.
Keep on watching.
Regards,
Bill.

[bloo777]

Thanks guys, you're probably right.
I looked at satellite photos and it looks like there was Cirrus Spissatus from distant storms.
Bward, it looks like this was exactly what you've said

Oh and thanks for the welcoming