In its recent click, NASA shared an image picturing Earth's airglow defining the planet's horizon with the Moon above, captured from the International Space Station. The photo, dated November 14, 2023, was captured from the International Space Station while it orbited 260 miles (418 miles) above the midwestern United States.
NASA captioned the images, "A view of Earth from the space station during orbital night. The Moon is virtually centred over the Earth's surface. A golden airglow outlines the atmosphere above the Earth's surface. Cities' lights dot the Earth's surface; a concentration of lights towards the horizon indicates Chicago, while a concentration closer to the bottom left indicates Denver.''
Airglow occurs when atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere are energised by sunlight, releasing light to lose their extra energy, explains NASA. Adding that, despite their similarities, aurora and airglow are created by separate processes. Auroras are caused by high-energy particles emitted by the solar wind, whereas airglow is caused by day-to-day solar radiation.
NASA wrote, "Understanding airflow allows us to peek into the upper atmosphere's temperature, density, and composition; additionally, it also helps us trace how particles move through the region. Vast, high-altitude winds sweep through the ionosphere, pushing its contents around the globe, and airglow's subtle dance follows their lead, highlighting global patterns."
After sharing, netizens have commented on the photograph as 'amazing.' Another described it as 'beautiful.' ''It feels like I'm in a movie,'' one user wrote. NASA has released an astonishing image of an aurora shot from the International Space Station. The spectacular green aurora surged over the skies above Utah, US, on Sunday night, forming a brilliant halo above our planet, according to the caption.
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