NASA - Aurora From Space
If you haven't seen NASA.gov yet and enjoy space and space travel I suggest a visit. One of my many dreams is to be the first Geographer in space. No seriously. In any event the I-Max film out now on the International Space Center is amazing. At one point you get to fly right over the Earth looking out a window. Let me tell you it's a real mind blower to see the Earth moving under you as you look down on it.
What do auroras look like from space? From the ground, auroras dance high above clouds, frequently causing spectacular displays. The International Space Station (ISS) orbits just at the same height as many auroras, though. Therefore, sometimes it flies over them, but also sometimes it flies right through. The auroral electron and proton streams are too thin to be a danger to the ISS, just as clouds pose little danger to airplanes. ISS Science Officer Don Pettit captured a green aurora, pictured above in a digitally sharpened image. From orbit, Dr. Pettit reports, changing auroras can appear to crawl around like giant green amoebas. Far below, on planet Earth, the Manicouagan Impact Crater can be seen in northern Canada. Credit: Don Pettit, ISS Expedition 6, NASA.
You can find the above picture and text here.
What do auroras look like from space? From the ground, auroras dance high above clouds, frequently causing spectacular displays. The International Space Station (ISS) orbits just at the same height as many auroras, though. Therefore, sometimes it flies over them, but also sometimes it flies right through. The auroral electron and proton streams are too thin to be a danger to the ISS, just as clouds pose little danger to airplanes. ISS Science Officer Don Pettit captured a green aurora, pictured above in a digitally sharpened image. From orbit, Dr. Pettit reports, changing auroras can appear to crawl around like giant green amoebas. Far below, on planet Earth, the Manicouagan Impact Crater can be seen in northern Canada. Credit: Don Pettit, ISS Expedition 6, NASA.You can find the above picture and text here.
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