NUFORC Sighting 104499

Occurred: 2013-11-09 17:30 Local
Reported: 2013-11-16 00:12 Pacific
Duration: Minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Kuparuk Oilfield, AK, USA

Shape: Light

Light in sky very strange, but believed to be noctilucent clouds seen through dark, lower clouds.

I saw the report of another witness and I observed this as well. I cannot be 100% sure, but I believe it was the most extreme example of noctilucent clouds I have ever observed: very bright and very blue -- all the more so because I could only see them through gaps in multiple layers of dark, lower overcast that was moving fairly rapidly. The effect was rare and odd, causing me to study it for a while to attempt to identify what it was exactly and verify that it was not simply the aurora. Since Kuparuk is at latitude 70 North, the Sun slides down at a very oblique angle to the horizon and there are many hours of twilight. This enhances the duration of twilight phenomena.

I give permission to provide my name and number to the other witness, because I also work at Kuparuk and would like to compare notes on this strange event.

Posted 2013-11-20