Astronomy Picture of the Day - Aurora Australis and the International Space Station

NASA ^ | 13 Sep, 2024 | Image Credit: NASA, ISS Expedition 71

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: This snapshot from the International Space Station was taken on August 11 while orbiting about 430 kilometers above the Indian Ocean, Southern Hemisphere, planet Earth. The spectacular view looks south and east, down toward the planet's horizon and through red and green curtains of aurora australis. The auroral glow is caused by emission from excited oxygen atoms in the extremely rarefied upper atmosphere still present at the level of the orbiting outpost. Green emission from atomic oxygen dominates this scene at altitudes of 100 to 250 kilometers, while red emission from atomic oxygen can extend as high as 500 kilometers altitude. Beyond the glow of these southern lights, this view from low Earth orbit reveals the starry sky from a southern hemisphere perspective. Stars in Orion's belt and the Orion Nebula are near the Earth's limb just left of center. Sirius, alpha star of Canis Major and brightest star in planet Earth's night is above center along the right edge of the southern orbital skyscape.

[MtnClimber]

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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

[Big Red Badger]

Are two guys still Stranded There?
.
Science!

[No name given]

Wow.

[MtnClimber]

I think it is a man and a woman that are still stranded there, but what do I know? I’m not a biologist.

[telescope115]

I’m sure if I was up there, you couldn’t tear me away from a window! I would have my nose pressed against the glass like a little kid….🤩

[NorthMountain]

No ... nobody is “stranded” there.

You know better ...

[AFB-XYZ]

I think it is a man and a woman that are still stranded there

Wonder how to fend off ennui in those circmstances?

Pinochle? Heh. :-)

[Big Red Badger]

Can’t follow every detail anymore——
I’m living in a “Who’s on First ?” World
Nowadays it’s my ‘SAFE SPACE.’
.
Forgive my Old Tlmers disease.

[MtnClimber]

There are two that should have come back.

I don't know how many are there in total.

The ones who should have come back are a man and a woman. I was just making a Katenji Brown Jackson (sp?) joke there.

[Telepathic Intruder]

I recognize the one on the right as being Geddy Lee, former lead singer of the band Rush. Who's the woman on the left?

[doorgunner69]

Unlikely much hanky-panky unless that guy...............