01/07/2026
Rugby’s Sky Went Full Neon!
Two nights, one sky, and some seriously weird glowing clouds.
Night one started with a message from a friend saying: “Is this what I think it is?” and photo of these clouds attached.
Naturally, I was LA7E to the party… but quick shot from my window and still managed to catch these electric-blue clouds glowing above old Victorian terraced houses here in Rugby. Not bad for a panic grab.
The next night, I was more ready. I started checking the radars a few hours earlier, watching the conditions, and about an hour after sunset I could already see something forming. So I did the only sensible thing: grabbed the camera, jumped in the car, and went to one of my favourite observation spots in Hillmorton.
And wow… the sky properly showed off.
These are noctilucent clouds, or NLCs - basically the highest clouds on Earth, sitting around 80 km up, right on the edge of space. They glow after sunset because the Sun has already disappeared for us on the ground, but it is still lighting them up from below the horizon. So yes… technically, the sky was running on hidden sunlight.
They looked amazing by eye, but the camera pulled out even more structure - waves, ripples, glowing streaks, and proper “alien weather loading screen” vibes.
I haven’t had a proper NLC hunt like this for about four years, so getting two nights in a row felt unreal.
Photos:
Day 1 - Quick phone shot/street view over Rugby
Day 2 - Hillmorton view, proper sky show
Clear skies - or at least weird glowing ones.
See you LA7Er.
