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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Aurora Slathers Up the Sky
NASA ^ | 16 May, 2026 | Image Credit: Jack Fischer, Expedition 52, NASA

Posted on 05/16/2026 12:41:22 PM PDT by MtnClimber

Explanation: Like salsa verde on your favorite burrito, a green aurora slathers up the sky in this 2017 June 25 snapshot from the International Space Station. 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 tantalizing glow is green at lower altitudes, but rarer reddish bands extend above the space station's horizon. The orbital scene was captured while passing over a point south and east of Australia, with stars above the horizon at the right belonging to the constellation Canis Major, Orion's big dog. Sirius, alpha star of Canis Major, is the brightest star near the Earth's limb.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa

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1 posted on 05/16/2026 12:41:22 PM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 05/16/2026 12:41:39 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list

đŸȘ 🌟 🌌 🍔

3 posted on 05/16/2026 12:42:25 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

That’s a slathering alright.


4 posted on 05/16/2026 12:43:12 PM PDT by ComputerGuy
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To: MtnClimber

Wow!!


5 posted on 05/16/2026 1:01:52 PM PDT by CopperTop (Outside the wire it's just us chickens. Dig?)
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To: ComputerGuy

I wish I had a salsa verde burrito that big.


6 posted on 05/16/2026 1:04:21 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Wow.


7 posted on 05/16/2026 1:22:46 PM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as )
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To: MtnClimber

I wish I had a salsa verde burrito that big.


LOL! That may even be bigger than a Chipotle burrito. grin


8 posted on 05/16/2026 2:00:12 PM PDT by week 71
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To: little jeremiah

APOD ping


9 posted on 05/16/2026 2:06:45 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Accumulation of cow farts?


10 posted on 05/16/2026 2:16:41 PM PDT by WKUHilltopper
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To: week 71

Usually things always look like a cheeseburger. This is a rare anomaly.


11 posted on 05/16/2026 2:48:28 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Watching videos of the Aurora as seen from the ISS are mesmerizing. I can’t imagine what it’s like to actually SEE it from the astronaut’s pov
.


12 posted on 05/16/2026 5:30:20 PM PDT by telescope115 (Ad Astra, Ad Deum
)
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To: telescope115

It looks like an electric eel flying through space at warp 3


13 posted on 05/16/2026 6:50:58 PM PDT by Deaf and Discerning
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