Thread by @_RachaelTV

Good morning!
Last week we talked about aphelion and this week I've got something I call #WednesdaysWord (an obviously extremely creative name for a subsidiary of #ScienceBehind).

So let's do some science, shall we?
#STEMeducation #STEMed

Last week, we spent time in space so let's bring it a little closer with noctilucent clouds

☁️ (the clouds don't really look like this but twitter emojis just ain't there yet so we make do 🤷🏾‍♀️)
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#13newsnow #STEMed #stemeducation

So where exactly do these clouds form? It's in an area of the atmosphere called the mesosphere

We live in the troposphere and that's where our weather happens. Noctilucent clouds don't produce any weather, however

#sciencebehind #STEMed #stemeducation

Okay so you're probably wondering... "what do these clouds look like?"

Friends over at @NWSReno tweeted this out last June:



#sciencebehind #STEMed #stemeducation

This time of year is the best time to see noctilucent clouds but your chances of seeing them closer to the equator.

Norfolk/VB latitude: 36.8°N
NYC: 40.7°N
Atlanta: 33.7°N

BUUT that doesn't it's impossible farther south!
#STEMeducation #stemed #sciencebehind #13newsnow

I know that was a bit of time between tweets but my internet died and I got a snack while it came back up. If we gonna keep it a hunnit.

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So no... noctilucent clouds aren't aliens 🚫🛸 BUUT they are part extraterrestrial as some are formed from meteors (which burn up in the atmosphere, leaving dust)

"Extra" = outside
"Terrestrial" = relating to earth

#13newsnow #STEMeducation #STEMed #sciencebehind

While noctilucent clouds can be formed from space scraps, volcanic ash and man-made particles can also reach those heights in the atmosphere.

#13newsnow #sciencebehind #STEMed #stemeducation

Here's a post from @NWSBoise from earlier this month



#sciencebehind #STEMed #stemeducation

That's it for this week's #ScienceBehind ☄️
Have a great day everyone! Check out the full thread for cool pics

#STEMed #stemeducation #13newsnow

While looking up the origin of the word noctilucent, this song's chorus popped in my head.

So good morning, @Beyonce

#sciencebehind