NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Collection

Aurora and Orion

Looking toward the south [ http://images.jsc.n…] from low Earth orbit, the crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavor [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] made this stunning time exposure of the Aurora Australis [ http://www.vision.n…] or southern lights in April of 1994. Aurora are visible [ http://www.geo.mtu.…] at high northern latitudes [ http://dac3.pfrr.al…] as well, with the northern lights known as Aurora Borealis [ http://wwwssl.msfc.…]. They are caused by high energy electrons from the Solar Wind [ http://www-spof.gsf…] which are funneled into the atmosphere near the poles by the Earth's magnetic field [ http://www-spof.gsf…]. The reddish colors occur at the highest altitudes (about 200 miles) where the air is least dense. At lower altitudes and greater densities green tends to dominate ranging to a pinkish glow at the lowest. The familiar constellation [ http://www.mtwilson…] of Orion the Hunter [ http://astro.caltec…] is clearly visible above the dark horizon in the background. Because of the shuttle's orbital motion, the bright stars in Orion appear slightly elongated.

STS-59 Crew [ http://www.ksc.nasa…], NASA [ http://www.nasa.gov/]

aurora

Orion

1994

Alaska

Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Washington, D.C.

Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Earth

Orion

Aurora

Space Shuttle Orbiter

1994

http://antwrp.gsfc.…

SPD-APOD-ap990320