Amateur astronomers across Europe have been taking snapshots of the luminous, wispy patterns painted by the clouds across the northern sky. Jamie Cooper, of Northampton, is one who has taken stunning images of them, including the one above on the evening of 16 June.

They are called noctilucent – or night-shining – clouds. Experts believe they occur in summer and when solar activity is low – unlike the aurora, or northern lights, which are seen more when the sun’s behaviour is particularly violent.

Although they are beautiful, some scientists believe these space clouds, up to 60 miles high near the top of the atmosphere, are an indicator of global warming or pollution.

Amateur astronomers say the displays of noctilucent clouds this week have been some of the best for years. They can be seen to the north, glowing against a dark sky from around an hour after sunset until midnight.

Robin Scagell, vice-president of the Society for Popular Astronomy, said today: “Noctilucent clouds are rare but they’ve been a stunning sight this week. You can’t mistake them for normal clouds because they shimmer in a spectacular way, long after the sun has set.”

More photos of noctilucent clouds can be found at SpaceWeather.com.

Picture: Noctilucent cloud display pictured by Jamie Cooper from Northampton, UK, on 16 June.

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