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Credit & Copyright: Scott Kelly,
Expedition 44,
NASA
Explanation:
What
bizarre alien planet is this?
It's planet Earth of course, seen from the
International Space Station
through the shimmering glow of aurorae.
About 400 kilometers (250 miles) above Earth,
the orbiting station is itself within
the upper realm
of the auroral displays.
Aurorae have the
signature
colors of excited molecules and
atoms at the low densities found at extreme altitudes.
Emission from atomic oxygen dominates this view.
The eerie glow
is green at lower altitudes, but a rarer reddish band extends
above the space station's horizon.
Also visible from the planet's surface, this auroral display began during a
geomagnetic storm.
The storm was triggered after a coronal mass ejection
impacted Earth's magnetosphere in June of 2015.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: aurora - ISS
Publications with words: aurora - ISS
See also:
- APOD: 2024 May 20 Á Aurora Dome Sky
- Aurora Banks Peninsula
- APOD: 2024 January 14 Á Dragon Aurora over Iceland
- APOD: 2024 January 3 Á A SAR Arc from New Zealand
- APOD: 2023 December 12 Á Aurora and Milky Way over Norway
- APOD: 2023 November 19 Á Space Station, Solar Prominences, Sun
- The SAR and the Milky Way