June 14 at 3:49 PM

A highflying science experiment may color the skies with bluish-green and red clouds Thursday evening, as NASA seeks to learn more about charged particles at the upper part of Earths atmosphere.

A small rocket carrying 10 canisters, each about the size of a soda can, is scheduled to lift off from Wallops Island, Virginia, shortly after 9 p.m. About five minutes after launch, the canisters will release colorful vapors that will gather into artificial clouds potentially visible from New York to North Carolina.

The bright colors are caused by sunlight interacting with chemicals, including barium and strontium, and pose no harm to observers on the ground, NASA said.

The flight had been planned for May 31 but was delayed because of bad weather.

Although the flight will last about eight minutes, the colorful clouds could linger for 20 minutes, depending on the weather. NASA will track the clouds so scientists can learn more about the ionosphere, a layer at the top of the atmosphere where particles shoot out into space.

Reuters

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With an evening rocket launch, NASA hopes to color the skies red and green - Washington Post