AIM

Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere

past Mission

Type

Orbiter

Launch

April 25, 2007

Target

Earth

Objective

Study night-shining clouds

AIM was the first detailed exploration of Earth's highest clouds called noctilucent clouds, or night-shining clouds. AIM stopped collecting data in March 2023 following failure of the spacecraft's battery. The spacecraft re-entered Earth's atmosphere on Aug. 19, 2024.

an illustration of Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) in orbit. The mission looks similar to a hollow hexagon, with a large silver panel above it. It is above a cloudy Earth.

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Explore All AIM (Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere) Stories

Night-Shining Cloud Mission Ends; Yields High Science Results for NASA

The AIM mission above a cloudy Earth. AIM is shaped like a hollow hexagon, with to large panels like wings behind it. The Sun is rising on the other side of Earth.

Rocket Launches Can Create Night-Shining Clouds Away from the Poles, NASA’s AIM Mission Reveals

Tiny Meteors Leave Smoke in the Atmosphere. NASA’s Studying It.

Article3 years ago

NASA’s AIM Sees First Night-Shining Clouds of Antarctic Summer

Article4 years ago

NASA’s AIM Spots First Arctic Noctilucent Clouds of the Season

Article4 years ago

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The image is divided horizontally by an undulating line between a cloudscape forming a nebula along the bottom portion and a comparatively clear upper portion. Speckled across both portions is a starfield, showing innumerable stars of many sizes. The smallest of these are small, distant, and faint points of light. The largest of these appear larger, closer, brighter, and more fully resolved with 8-point diffraction spikes. The upper portion of the image is blueish, and has wispy translucent cloud-like streaks rising from the nebula below. The orangish cloudy formation in the bottom half varies in density and ranges from translucent to opaque. The stars vary in color, the majority of which have a blue or orange hue. The cloud-like structure of the nebula contains ridges, peaks, and valleys – an appearance very similar to a mountain range. Three long diffraction spikes from the top right edge of the image suggest the presence of a large star just out of view.

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