how to calculate NLC distance

[janlameer]

Hi all !

I've asked this question a few years ago, got a good answer too, and lost the answer.
So here it goes again :

I'm looking for a good way to calculate the distance of NLC's from their measured height above the horizon.

And I'm always insecure about how to include the near horizon refraction.

Plus I wonder what the best height estimate in the atmosphere is.
On average I use 82 km but supposedly that depends on the temperature of that layer, which varies during the NLC season.
As I gathered, it varies between 81 and 84 km.

In particular I'm interested in the conditions in the night of 15 July 2010, when there was a strong display.

Does anyone know of Lidar or other hi-tech observations of the northern european high atmosphere during that night ?

Thanks, JanL

[Andreas Wiegele]

I've asked this question a few years ago, got a good answer too, and lost the answer.

Hi Jan,

supposedly you searched for this thread?
http://www.meteoros.de/php/viewtopic.php?t=4359


Grüße, Andreas

[janlameer]

Hi Andreas

Thank you very much for digging this up.

I've timelapse filmed NLC's in stereo 3D this summer, with a distance between camera's of approximately 6500 meters.
We're working on the footage now.

The high definition footage is very nice, and 3D red cyan anaglyph tests already showed that the 3D effect works.

We aim at making a short 3D 1080p film for polarized 3D glasses that might come to a cinema near you soon ...

Thanks again,

Jan Lameer

www.timelapse.nl

[Alexander Haußmann]

Hi Jan,

sounds like a great project! I'm really looking forward to see the result (especially how you deal with the individual horizons from both locations). It should even be possible to calculate the height of the NLC that you are looking for from the stereo pictures (like the old guys did back in the 19th century). Keep us posted!

Kind regards,
Alex