VIDEO: Rare noctilucent clouds form in Kitsap County

There was a rare sight in the sky above Western Washington Thursday morning well before dawn.

KIRO 7 Meteorologist Morgan Palmer says these ghostly wisps are noctilucent clouds. They are made of ice crystals some 250,000 feet or 50 miles high — more than five times higher than the highest cirrus clouds we usually see during daytime.

They are rare because at those altitudes on the edge of space, there is almost never enough water vapor to cause ice crystals to form. The air is dry and temperatures at that elevation are often colder than -200 degrees Fahrenheit.

The formation of noctilucent clouds is still not well understood by scientists and could result from atmospheric water vapor being forced upward or even a chemical reaction involving methane. They are almost always seen during summer, when atmospheric conditions are perfect.  Rocket launches are well-known to cause noctilucent clouds but Palmer says Thursday morning’s event occurred naturally.

Noctilucent clouds have a bluish coloration which is a result of absorption of some wavelengths of light by the ozone layer. That same ozone layer protects us from the most harmful rays of the sun.

Thanks to Greg Johnson of SkunkBayWeather.com for these amazing images from Hansville in Kitsap County.

Cox Media Group