In the Clouds

USU’s Space Dynamics Laboratory has built a satellite that will be sent into orbit by NASA to study noctilucent clouds, which appear to glow at night. Normally, the coulds are only seen at high latitudes, but in recent years, the evening clouds have been spotted as far south as Utah. SDL built an instrument that will study the ultra-high clouds, which form at an altitude of 50 miles. The lab’s Solar Occulation for Ice Experiement will gather information on the particles in the clouds and the chemistry involved in forming the clouds, said USU physicist Mike Taylor. Scientists may monitor these clouds in the future as signals for climate change.

From “USU Joins NASA Cloud Study,” by Greg Lavine, The Salt Lake Tribune, April 12, 2007. For more information, contact USU physics professor Mike Taylor [mtaylor@cc.usu.edu], 435-797-3919.