Irregularities in the 80–100 km region: A photographic approach

A technique is described for obtaining photographs of the patterns produced by the infrared hydroxyl airglow emission in the night sky by using exposure times of less than 1 min, and some examples of such patterns are shown. A photometer capable of obtaining the temperature of the emitting region at 3-min intervals is also described, and an example of a temperature run on a dynamically disturbed night, with accompanying pattern photographs, is presented. Some references to work on the influence of gravity waves upon the hydroxyl airglow intensity are given and briefly discussed in relation to the present observational results.