US space agency NASA recently shared an image of Earth’s skyglow, which outlines the planet’s horizon with the moon above it. In the image shared to Instagram, it appeared as if the Earth was emitting the ‘sky glow’, while the moon was almost centered above the surface.
The image was taken on November 14 from the International Space Station as it orbited 258 miles (418 kilometers) above the midwestern United States.
“A view of Earth from the space station during a night orbit. The moon is above the Earth, almost centered above the surface. An airglow outlines the atmosphere above the Earth’s surface in a yellow hue,” NASA wrote, describing the image on Instagram.
Apart from the Earth’s radiant horizon, the city lights of Denver and Chicago illuminated a beautiful pattern of light on the Earth’s surface.
“Lights from cities are scattered across the Earth’s surface – including a concentration of lights near the horizon identifying the city of Chicago, while the concentration of lights closer to the lower left identifies Denver,” it added.
What is Earth’s airglow?
Airglow is when atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere, excited by sunlight, emit light to get rid of their excess energy. Similar to auroras, except that auroras are powered by high-energy particles coming from the solar wind; airglow is caused by daily sunlight. Studying airglow gives us a glimpse into the temperature, density and composition of the upper atmosphere, but it also helps us track how particles move through the area itself. Enormous high-altitude winds blow through the ionosphere, propelling its contents around the world – and the subtle dance of airglow follows suit, highlighting global patterns.
Image description: A view of Earth from the space station during a night orbit. The moon is above the Earth, almost centered above the surface. An airglow outlines the atmosphere above the Earth’s surface in a yellow tint. City lights are scattered across the Earth’s surface – including a concentration of lights on the horizon identifying the city of Chicago, while the concentration of lights closer to the bottom left corner identifies Denver.
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Updated: Nov 20, 2023 3:32 PM IST