Shuttle Launches Form Arctic Clouds

core plexus writes "The Anchorage Daily News is reporting that in late May, researchers reported finding that the shuttle's exhaust, 97 percent of which is water vapor, quickly migrates to the highest reaches of the atmosphere above the Arctic. There the vapor spreads out about 50 miles high in Earth's mesosphere, just below the thermosphere, the air's highest layer, and settles to form a wispy type of cloud called noctilucent clouds. The shuttle trails a giant plume of exhaust while rising through the atmosphere, Mike Stevens, the study's lead author, said earlier this summer on Arctic Science Journeys Radio at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. "You can think of it as essentially a long garden hose that is on the order of (621 miles) long," Stevens said."

Comments

What am I to say?

[Lacertus]

This is yet another example emphasizing the fact that every human motive, thought, and action is thereby reflected in our environment. While many 'environmentalists' will spew forth their rightful sentiments that such action-reaction describes the final, tragic fate of humanity, I have another view: While it can't go without saying that all our technology effects our environment, similarly it should be evident that what we do (as rightful animals of Earth) might very well be incorporated in a new Earthly paradigm of that which is "natural."

Re:What am I to say?

[tha_mink]

"While it can't go without saying that all our technology effects our environment, similarly it should be evident that what we do (as rightful animals of Earth) might very well be incorporated in a new Earthly paradigm of that which is "natural.""

My thoughts exactly. Like a beaver and his dam, we are just as natural. (yes, beavers destroy ecosystems too)

Re:what about other spacecraft?

[Skyfire]

So does anyone know why the shuttle launches do this but not the Russian or ESA rockets?

I am neither a rocket scientist nor a metereologist, but my best guess would be that it has to do with the space shuttle rockets (not the boosters, but the main thrusters on the space shuttle) being powered by Oxygen and Hydrogen which creates a lot of hot water when it fires.

On noctilucents

[Caid Raspa]

These are really beautiful clouds, I have seen them almost every summer since 1980:s.

Note the photographer of the last link. Some more of his pictures can be seen at www.polarimage.fi They are really cool.

Almost every Russian rocket launch from a base near the Finnish border is seen also as really beutiful clouds, similar to nocitlucents at least in appearance. The rockets are a lot smaller.

Some of my older relatives have seen noctilucents also in the 1930:s, so they are not always related to the shuttle or rockets.

One downside is that noctilucents appear in conditions favourable to ozone depletion.

Re:On noctilucents

[Tablizer]

These are really beautiful clouds

I have seen the cloud trails of some military launches near S. California coast (don't know if they are orbital or not), but when the sun is setting, it shines on them brightly because they are so high while the rest of the astmosphere is almost dark because it is lower, in the shadow of earth's limb already. Thus, these trails stand out as if they are glowing. They make a very erie looking milky rainbow-colored cloud that lasts about 1/2 an hour or more.