The Week in SpaceDecember 19-25, 2011
Long and Winding Road Floating eerily like a ghostly road to nowhere, the aurora australis (southern lights) and their northern counterparts—aurora borealis—are stunning when viewed from Earth, but nearly defy description when viewed from above. These ever-shifting displays of colored ribbons, curtains, rays, and spots occur when charged particles (ions) streaming from the Sun interact with Earth’s magnetic field. Aurora generally occur close to the poles, but severe magnetic storms on the Sun can shift these displays toward Earth’s equator and closer to the path traveled by the International Space Station in its orbit. A geomagnetic storm in mid-2010 was the likely culprit behind this display over the Southern Indian Ocean, trailing off toward Antarctica, and captured by an observer on the ISS. Image credit: NASA Weekly CalendarDecember 19-25, 2011Holidays - Sky Events - Space History
1960: MR-1A launched, first Mercury capsule |
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