[ad_1]
See the Northern Lights from space: International Space Station astronauts share stunning images of ‘Earth’s air glow’ as they orbit more than 250 miles above the surface
- Auroras occur when cosmic rays interact with gases in the upper atmosphere and hang over the horizon
- ISS astronauts shared images of the event as seen from space, orbiting about 263 miles above
- The images were taken over different regions of the Earth including the North Atlantic, Romania and Russia.
- The ship was in orbit approximately 263 miles above the surface when each image was taken
- Most images show a green ribbon of light hanging over the horizon and bright city lights below
Publicity
The Arctic Circle and parts of the southern hemisphere are considered the best places to see the Northern Lights on Earth, but a team of astronauts have found an even better place: outer space.
The crew of Expedition 64 currently living on the International Space Station have captured a number of stunning images of the natural phenomenon orbiting more than 250 miles above the surface.
The images were taken over different regions of our planet, including the North Atlantic, Romania and Russia, showing the stunning lights hanging over cities, oceans and other land regions.
The Northern Lights, also called “the glow of the earth’s air,” are caused by the interaction of cosmic rays with gases in the upper atmosphere, which covers the horizon with colored electric lights.
NASA describes the event as a “spectacular sign that our planet is electrically connected to the sun”.
The crew of Expedition 64 currently living on the International Space Station have captured a number of stunning images of the natural phenomenon orbiting more than 250 miles above the surface. One of the images, taken Jan. 18, was taken while the International Space Station (ISS) was in orbit 264 miles above the North Atlantic (pictured)
The images were shared by the astronauts on the official International Space Station Twitter account.
“ The station’s orbit rises 51.6 ° above the equator, offering awe-inspiring views of the Northern Lights between city lights and twinkling stars, ” the report reads. message.
One of the images, taken Jan. 18, was taken while the International Space Station (ISS) was in orbit 264 miles above the North Atlantic.
Photo shows the dark sea below with a sliver of green light above along the horizon.
The Northern Lights, also called “the glow of the earth’s air,” are caused by the interaction of cosmic rays with gases in the upper atmosphere, which covers the horizon with colored electric lights. This photo was taken while the ISS was over Romania. The crew captures the aurora that hangs over Sweden and Finland
On January 13, the Expedition 46 crew shared an image while hovering over Kazakhstan in Russia, which captured the vivid city lights at night and above was a curving beam of green aurora .
On the same day, the ISS flew over Romania to take another breathtaking view.
“The International Space Station was in orbit 263 miles above Romania when this photograph was taken of the city lights of Sweden and Finland with an aurora above the Earth’s horizon,” reads one in the caption of the photo.
“The dark area between the two Scandinavian countries is the Baltic Sea.
The Northern Lights have also been referred to as the “ polar lights ” because they are rarely visible outside of 70 degrees north and south latitudes.
The aurora has also been referred to as the “ polar lights ” because it is rarely seen outside of the northern and southern latitudes of 70 degrees. In the photo, another image taken 264 miles above Kazakhstan
However, one of the best images was taken on January 7 and shows the 74 Supply Ship suspended in the darkness that is outer space and below are the white puffy clouds in our atmosphere. And in the distance the southern lights can shine from the horizon
The breathtaking spectacle occurs when energetic particles come out of the sun both in a constant flow called the solar wind and as a result of giant eruptions known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
It may take two to three days for the particles to reach Earth, but when they do, solar particles and magnetic fields cause the release of particles already trapped near Earth, which in turn trigger reactions in the high atmosphere in which oxygen and nitrogen molecules release photons of light.
And that translates into the Northern Lights and Southern Lights.
On January 13, the crew of Expedition 46 shared an image while hovering over Kazakhstan in Russia, which captured the vivid city lights at night and a curving beam of green aurora above it.
However, one of the best images was taken on January 7 and shows the 74 Supply Ship suspended in the darkness that is outer space and below are the white puffy clouds in our atmosphere.
And in the distance, the aurora australis can shine from the horizon.
WHAT ARE AURORAS AND WHAT SETS ON THE AMAZING NATURAL SCREENS?
The Northern Lights and Southern Lights are natural light shows triggered in our atmosphere, also known as the “Northern Lights”.
There are two types of northern lights – Aurora Borealis, which means “dawn of the north”, and Aurora Australis, “dawn of the south”.
The screens light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter Earth’s atmosphere.
There are two types of northern lights: the northern lights (archive photo), which means “dawn of the north”, and the northern lights, “the dawn of the south”. Screens light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter Earth’s atmosphere
Usually, the particles, sometimes called a solar storm, are deflected by the earth’s magnetic field.
But during heavy storms, they enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles, including hydrogen and helium.
These collisions emit light. Auroral screens appear in many colors although pale green and pink are common.
[ad_2]
Source link