Suggested Searches

1 min read

Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM)

Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM)
AIM studies the Polar Mesospheric Clouds, the Earth's highest clouds, which form an icy membrane 50 miles above the surface at the edge of space.Launch: April 2007Operating Network: Near Space Network

Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) is the first satellite mission dedicated to the study of noctilucent or “night-shining” clouds (NLCs) also called Polar Mesospheric clouds (PMCs). PMCs, Earth’s highest clouds, form an icy membrane fifty miles above the ground at the edge of the atmosphere. Normally seen at polar latitudes, PMCs are beginning to appear further from the poles, possibly due to climate change. AIM helps scientists understand the ephemeral nature of PMCs and their variation over time by measuring thermal, chemical, and other properties of the environment in which these clouds form.

Launch: April 2007Operating Network: Near Space Network› Near Space Network (NSN)Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM)› Earth Missions Supported by SCaN