It is said that the frequency of noctilucent clouds decreases around the solar maximum phase with any displays that do occur will be less bright and high in the sky. The current cycle seemed to be going along with this theory with 2022 being a worse year than 2019-2021 and then 2023 worse again. However, notably 2024 was quite a good year with a good number of noctilucent cloud (NLC) displays. Despite this, 2024 was most likely the solar maximum year of the present Solar Cycle 25 which contradicts the theory. Another theory mentioned 2024 was an unusually good year for NLC displays due to excess water vapour from the Hunga-Tonga volcanic eruption in January 2022. There was a possibility that some of this could continue into 2025 which would be another relatively high solar activity year (though May 2025 had the lowest mean sunspot count in 3 years).
The first display over the UK & Ireland was visible on the 2nd June, a relatively early date to be seeing a display as widespread as the one that occurred. Dublin however was mostly clouded out so was unable to see. Over the coming weeks, there would be lots of displays over Russia but western Europe would be left waiting for the season to really start. Dublin got one reasonable display on the night of the 10th into 11th June but it was small and brief on the northern horizon (first two images below from Sandymount Strand, Dublin taken the early morning of the 11th June 2025). Weeks had passed and thoughts were left wondering this would be a poor season.
On the night of 22nd into 23rd June, we got another display that was significantly better and brighter. It was a bit of a northern horizon hugger but it lasted all night with varying cloud cover and I captured it throughout at the end of Howth west pier looking towards the lighthouses and Ireland’s Eye. As dawn approached on the 23rd, the noctilucent clouds gained a decent altitude but their formations weren’t too spectacular to some of the displays I have seen before. The main thing about this display was how bright it was that it was difficult to expose for the landscape and maintaining the detail in the NLCs. They were also pretty fast moving. Overall, not a bad display.
More time was spent waiting on the NLC season to kick into gear but little did we know that we wouldn’t have to wait too much longer and what we would be in for. It was the evening of Sunday, June 29th. There was perfect clear skies with very little cloud over much of the east coast of Ireland. It was also very warm, a perfect summery evening. I gazed my eyes at the LiveFromIreland Paddocks Riding Centre webcam thinking how perfect the sky was for noctilucent clouds to occur that evening. Then reports started coming in from other countries already in dark enough skies. I was getting a little excited then reports of overhead displays in southern England set me over the edge. I could not believe it. This sounds far too good to be true. Perfect clear skies, warm temperatures, overhead NLCs. Like WHAT!? Unfortunately I had caught an eye infection earlier that day which I was not aware of how serious was at this point, it was just a little sore. However, I could not sit by and let these exceptionally rare chain of events become a waste. I prepared my camera gear and by the time I got in the car with one clear destination in mind, I noticed some faint white glowing clouds over top of my head and house. I was buzzing.
I set off for the Great South Wall out in Dublin Bay with one goal, to get my long awaited bucket list shot of Poolbeg Lighthouse with a bright noctilucent clouds display which would be only possible with a drone due to the geography of the wall and no way to stand a good distance beside the lighthouse to avoid distortion or compress the display. It would have to be a bright display too because the sensor in a drone is much smaller than the one seen in my DSLR camera and has a significantly worse signal to noise ratio which therefore will result in a lot of grain or softness. Where the lighthouse is relatively dark so I needed all the light I could get from the bright display so the image would not be a full silhouette which some might like but was not what I was after. No, I wanted a shot nobody has ever gotten and I don’t believe anyone has ever shot Poolbeg Lighthouse with a noctilucent clouds display, especially on a drone.
I arrived at the Great South Wall car park in good timing. My mind was instantly blown with noctilucent clouds at the top of the Poolbeg Chimneys which from this angle are facing west. All noctilucent cloud displays I have seen before have been on the northern horizon. There was also a spectacular crescent moon to add to the beauty. I was full of options of where to shoot. Do I capture the chimneys facing west before the NLCs inevitably fade, do I capture North Bank Lighthouse, do I capture towards the city or Dublin Port, or do I go ahead and capture my Poolbeg Lighthouse bucket shot immediately. Rather than rushing straight into it which was a mistake I made with the October 2024 aurora, I took my time with the shots and got them all.
I set my DSLR mostly to capture time lapses rather than photos themselves which I used the drone to focus on, that way I could multi-task. I have the time lapses for video for social media and then the photos for my own enjoyment. As I said before, I hate video. I’m a photographer, not a videographer. However, social media algorithms favour video so I have to do them sometimes unfortunately and in this case, I can forgive because time lapses of clouds moving are hypnotising in my opinion. You can get lost in the art of their movement. NLCs are no different. I set up the drone, I had only two of my three batteries charged as the other for some reason did not charge despite it being in the charger all day. I don’t get technology like this. I do not have a car charger but I mean to invest in one. I would use my power bank but one battery eats up my entire 20,000 mAh portable power bank without even getting to 100%. In retrospect, I guess that would have been better than nothing. Oh well.
I started off at the North Bank Lighthouse and what a scene already. This ain’t even my bucket list shot and I’m already delighted. A dreamy sky with the crescent moon setting over Dublin Port, the whirls of the noctilucent clouds across the northwestern sky above the lighthouse and the fading orange glow. I asked Gemini to describe the sky to me as I couldn’t quite put it into words and normally I don’t like what AI puts out because there is so much obvious red flags but I liked this too much not to share.
Upon the canvas of the night, a twilight deep, a fading light.
Above the lighthouse, stark and tall, where emerald gleams begin to fall.
The heavens bloom in silver-blue, with tendrils soft, a ghostly hue.
Noctilucent whispers, fine and bright, reflecting sun from out of sight.
They stretch and swirl, a luminous lace, across the vast, celestial space.
While distant docks with fiery gleam, reflect their light in liquid dream.
A serene expanse, where day meets eve, and hidden wonders interweave.
Pretty good don’t you think? Well done Gemini! I showed two different images of the North Bank Lighthouse below with the NLC display. The first was with the drone where I was able to get up close to the lighthouse and the second was with the camera where I stood from the Great South Wall car park looking towards it. Which one do you prefer out of the two?
Ok so it was time for the big one. Let’s head to Poolbeg Lighthouse. As mentioned, this would be a drone only job so I left the camera to just capture time lapses looking towards North Bank Lighthouse or Dublin Port. I got the shots. First shot was one of the entire Great South Wall and the lighthouse looking northwest. This is a classic sunset angle I and many love to capture with the drone. It always works and not the best shot of the night but I was over the moon knowing this is not something anyone has probably captured before. The reflection of the moon in the water is also a beautiful touch.
I was able to recover a decent amount of shadows without destroying the image but you can definitely see the softness towards the left side of the lighthouse where it’s still pretty dark.
Some more angles of Poolbeg Lighthouse with the NLC display below – the first one being widely regarded as the best one.
Some of the NLC formations over Dublin Port were otherworldly. No great composition here but just look at those cloud details!
The night went extremely well so far and I was just about on the last of my drone battery so I quickly attempted to get a shot of the Poolbeg Chimneys with the NLC display, the result being below.
The display was still going strong though was starting to fade. I pondered if it would be possible or great to get some shots of city landmarks with the display such as the Custom House as it faces north. By the time I arrived into the city centre, the NLC display had faded a lot onto the northern horizon and thicker cloud was arriving from the west.
The Custom House shot would have been possible if I was here earlier but you know, you can’t have it all and I’d have preferred Poolbeg Lighthouse so that was definitely the best one to do. I still stopped by the docklands and attempted some shots, not much was possible with the DSLR due to how low the display had gotten on the northern horizon which is nearly all obstructed in the city by buildings so this was pretty much a drone job. Captured what remained of the display with the Convention Centre lit up in pride colours, St. Laurence O’Toole Church and the Samuel Beckett Bridge.
The display was out all night but for the next hour or so, thick cloud covered nearly all of it so I went home to import everything I had photographed. I did not intend to go back out but I kept my eye on the webcams and there was a bit of a clearance. The NLCs started to show nicely again to the northeast where there was clear spells. I stayed relatively local and went for another composition I had been after with NLCs, High Rock between Malahide and Portmarnock – there’s often a debate whether it’s a part of Malahide or Portmarnock so I just treat it like its own place to avoid these debates whenever I mention it. The northeast nature of the display sounded ideal for the spot as it’s a bit awkward and dangerous even to stand to align to the northern horizon.
I got there, it was pretty breezy and the tide was coming in high. It was a little sketchy to stand at the spot with always the possibility of getting soaked by a sudden wave or sea spray from nearby rocks. The low light made it also more challenging to anticipate. Luck was on my side though as I never got any sea spray due to the wind direction but it was anxiety inducing throughout.
Recent construction began on the Portmarnock Martello Tower so unfortunately there is lots of scaffolding around it. Nonetheless, I thought I would try capture it with NLCs as a final shot of the night before going home and finally going asleep.
That was my night summed up. Quite a good bit of shots captured but most importantly, I could mark Poolbeg Lighthouse NLCs off the bucket list after chasing it for two years. I thought I’d have to wait until the next solar minimum at the end of this decade though to be honest for a display this massive. It was not reflective of past displays you seen at this point in the solar cycle though as mentioned at the beginning, 2024 was also a notably good year for NLC displays. So who knows really.
Additionally, I have produced a video below posted on YouTube compiling my time lapses I had captured during this epic night. Another night marked down in the books. We were spoiled with this one and I’m glad to have documented every bit of it to look back on in future. Thank you to everyone for reading and hope you enjoyed it.