How do I find out...?

[mattchris]

New to this so be gentle.
Where would I search to find what I saw in the sky when I was in high school? Years ago! :lol:
Are there records kept of this sort of thing?
I spent the summer of 1976 around Booth Bay Harbor, Maine. I saw the most breathtaking sky for several nights in a row. It was not northern lights. I assume it was the milky way but have never found pics that even come close to the beauty of those nights. Every color of the spectrum was represented and if it hadn't left a permanent crick in my neck I would never have stopped looking up. That mesmerizing. If anyone can help I would be greatful.
Chris

 

[yevaud]

New to this so be gentle.
Where would I search to find what I saw in the sky when I was in high school? Years ago! :lol:
Are there records kept of this sort of thing?
I spent the summer of 1976 around Booth Bay Harbor, Maine. I saw the most breathtaking sky for several nights in a row. It was not northern lights. I assume it was the milky way but have never found pics that even come close to the beauty of those nights. Every color of the spectrum was represented and if it hadn't left a permanent crick in my neck I would never have stopped looking up. That mesmerizing. If anyone can help I would be greatful.
Chris

You were likely viewing Noctilucent Clouds, which appear at great altitude and after sunset.

 

[MeteorWayne]

That's certainly a possibility, Yev. Another is Wallops Island tests, they made some spectacular displays back in the day.

Still without more specifics, all we can do is make WAG's

 

[yevaud]

We like our WAGs. Where would we be without them?

I suppose Airglow is another possibility. Dunno.

WAGs they are.

 

[mattchris]

Thanks for the info. Will have to investigate those since I do not know what they are. A better description would be a large pile of gems spilled on a table, all sparkling and A+++ grade. Clear translucent and the best color ever seen. I thought they were stars, I was obviously wrong. Thanks again.

 

[yevaud]

No problem. Us, we just speculate and let the chips fall where they may.

If you do happen to come back, here's an image of typical Airglow (at night, in this called Nightglow):

Wiki: Airglow

Noctilucent clouds:

Wiki: Noctilucent Clouds

Also - this is kinda Deja Vu for me (we appear to be about the same age), there was some sort of NASA test rocket that went wonky that very Summer. I distinctly remember it. It was widely mistaken for some sort of UFO across the East Coast and midsection of the US.

Anyways, come back anytime. Hope this helped.

 

[neilsox]

Why are you sure you did not see Northern lights? They can vary widely in appearance and are not extremely rare in Maine. Neil

 

[yevaud]

I assumed he had checked.

 

[MeteorWayne]

From the gem description, I have to wonder if he was just seeing the stars? Under a really dark sky (say like Maine in 1976 ) the normal color variation might be quite profound, from the red of Betelgeuse and Antares, to the yellow of Arcturus, to the Blue-white of Vega and Rigel. Throw in red Mars, White Jupiter, creamy Saturn, and maybe even a hint of Green from Uranus....

It's much harder to notice that under todays creeping light pollution; impossible for many.

 

[yevaud]

True, quite possible. In fact, I live surrounded by the stuff here, but when on the lower Cape or up in the mountains, the sky is perfvect black. I have seen the Milky Way here, quite splendid.

 

[mattchris]

Hey there guys,
Thank you both so very much for your interest and ideas. The pics were just lovely.
I continued to search, google, this question in various forms and I think I found my answer. Believe it or not the response brought me back to this very site. It was located in NIGHT SKY, "Prime time for viewing the milky way" by Joe Rao.
I discounted the Milky Way for several reasons although it was my primary suspect.
1. I do not recall any "columnar" aspect at all. (memory fades you know) I do recall a very slight swirl to the stars.
2. There was no cloudiness at all, as I've seen in many pictures.
and
3. The colors were much more varied and bright. I suppose due to no cloudiness. :lol:

The article I cited sounds very similar to this. It made me feel like I was back on that Maine beach looking up into a spectacular night sky. I hope that I have the chance to experience this once more in my lifetime.
Thanks again for all you assistance.
Christal