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Images of Canada and Johnson Space Center (JSC) and Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
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Manicouagan Impact Crater on
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| Title |
Manicouagan Impact Crater on Earth |
| Explanation |
The Manicouagan Crater [ http://www.linkdirectory.com/airphoto/1030.html ] in northern Canada [ http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ca.html ] is one of the oldest impact craters [ http://observe.ivv.nasa.gov/nasa/exhibits/craters/impact_home.html ] known. Formed during a surely tremendous impact [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990711.html ] about 200 million years ago, the present day terrain supports a 70-kilometer diameter hydroelectric reservoir [ http://www.ilec.or.jp/database/nam/nam-26.html ] in the telltale form of an annular lake [ http://epod.usra.edu/archive/epodviewer.php3?oid=40640 ]. The crater itself has been worn away by the passing of glaciers [ http://www.glacier.rice.edu/land/5_whatisaglacier.html ] and other erosional processes. Still, the hard rock [ http://duke.usask.ca/~reeves/prog/geoe118/geoe118.011.html ] at the impact site has preserved much of the complex impact structure [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960120.html ] and so allows scientists a leading case to help understand large impact features on Earth [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/slidesets/impacts.html ] and other [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001213.html ap960906.html ] Solar System bodies. Also visible above [ http://earth.jsc.nasa.gov/lores.cgi?PHOTO=STS009-48-3139 ] is the vertical fin of the Space Shuttle [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990411.html ] Columbia from which the picture was taken in 1983. |
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Aurora from Space
| Title |
Aurora from Space |
| Explanation |
From the ground, spectacular auroras seem to dance [ http://science.nasa.gov/spaceweather/aurora/ gallery_01mar03.html ] high above. But the International Space Station (ISS [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070625.html ]) orbits at nearly the same height as many auroras [ http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/ auroras/ ], sometimes passing over [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010210.html ] them, and sometimes right through them. Still, the auroral electron [ http://www.aip.org/history/electron/ ] and proton [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/lament.html ] streams pose no direct danger to the ISS [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/ ]. In 2003, ISS Science Officer Don Pettit [ http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/pettit.html ] captured the green aurora, pictured above [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/ 24mar_noseprints.htm ] in a digitally sharpened image. From orbit, Pettit reported [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/crew/exp6/ spacechronicles.html ] that changing auroras [ http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/ ] appeared to crawl around like giant green amoebas [ http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artsep01/ amoeba.html ]. Over 300 kilometers below, the Manicouagan Impact Crater [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001213.html ] can be seen in northern Canada, planet Earth. |
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Space Station and Space Shut
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Space Station and Space Shuttle: Backyard View |
| Explanation |
Knowing when and where [ http://www.heavens-above.com/ ] to look, many enthusiastic sky gazers have been able to spot the International Space Station (ISS) as a bright star streaking [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001214.html ] through the twilight. But with a digital camera and a small telescope, recognizable images are possible [ http://www.hobbyspace.com/SatWatching/ ] too. Astronomer Ricardo Borba offers this example [ http://www.borba.com/iss/ ] of the Space Shuttle Discovery [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010320.html ] docked with the ISS [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010228.html ], recorded this August from his backyard in Ottawa, Canada. Operating a digital video camera on an 8 inch reflecting telescope, Borba tracked the Earth-orbiting pair by hand. Unwanted telescope motion and atmospheric blurring [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000725.html ] caused most of the video frames to be indistinct, still the single best frame (left) from his video sequence is amazingly sharp. For comparison, he constructed a computer generated image (right) showing the approximate orientation of the Shuttle/ISS docking configuration based on virtual 3D models [ http://vesuvius.jsc.nasa.gov/er/seh/sehvrml.html ] available on the web [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/vrml/station/ ]. |
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Hawaii
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Hawaii |
| Explanation |
Aloha [ http://www.ipl.org/youth/hello/hawaiian.html ]! With the graceful arc of Earth's limb in the background, the Hawaiian Island [ http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/viewrecord?4668 ] archipelago is visible in this stunning photo [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/ STS26/10062983.htm ] taken by the astronauts onboard the shuttle Discovery [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980308.html ] in October of 1988. Along with popular beaches and tropical resorts, these volcanic islands [ http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/ ] offer extreme elevations with dark, dry, cloudless skies [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020425.html ]. Consequently they have also become popular sites for large and sophisticated ground based telescopes [ http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/ifa/ifa.html ]. The peak of Mauna Kea [ http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/mko/maunakea.htm ], on the Big Island (upper left), boasts an impressive array of astronomical instruments including twin Kecks [ http://astro.caltech.edu/mirror/keck/ ], the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope [ http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/ ], the NASA IRTF [ http://irtf.ifa.hawaii.edu/ ], the JCMT and UKIRT [ http://www.jach.hawaii.edu/ ], the Subaru [ http://www.naoj.org/ ] and the Gemini Telescope Project [ http://www.gemini.edu ]. The dormant volcanic cone of Haleakala [ http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/haleakala/ ] on Maui (just below the Big Island) is home to the Air Force Maui Optical Station [ http://ulua.mhpcc.af.mil ] and the Mees Solar Observatory [ http://koa.ifa.hawaii.edu/ ]. Mahalo nui loa [ http://www.ipl.org/youth/hello/hawaiian.html ]! |
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Aurora From Space
| Title |
Aurora From Space |
| Explanation |
What do auroras look like from space? From the ground, auroras dance [ http://science.nasa.gov/spaceweather/aurora/gallery_01mar03.html ] high above clouds [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010402.html ], frequently causing spectacular displays [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000410.html ]. The International Space Station [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021103.html ] (ISS) orbits just at the same height as many auroras [ http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/auroras/ ], though. Therefore, sometimes it flies over [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010210.html ] them, but also sometimes it flies right through. The auroral electron [ http://www.aip.org/history/electron/ ] and proton [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/lament.html ] streams are too thin to be a danger to the ISS [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/ ], just as clouds [ http://seaborg.nmu.edu/Clouds/bluesky.html ] pose little danger to airplanes [ http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/airflylvl3.htm ]. ISS Science Officer [ http://spacelink.nasa.gov/NASA.News/NASA.News.Releases/Previous.News.Releases/0 2.News.Releases/02-09.News.Releases/02-09-16.First.NASA.ISS.Science.Officer ] Don Pettit [ http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/pettit.html ] captured a green aurora, pictured above [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/24mar_noseprints.htm ] in a digitally sharpened image. From orbit [ http://science.nasa.gov/ppod/ ], Dr. Pettit [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/crew/exp6/spacechronicles.html ] reports, changing auroras [ http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/ ] can appear to crawl around like giant green amoebas [ http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artsep01/amoeba.html ]. Far below, on planet Earth, the Manicouagan Impact Crater [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001213.html ] can be seen in northern Canada [ http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ca.html ]. |
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Aurora from Space
| Title |
Aurora from Space |
| Explanation |
From the ground, spectacular auroras seem to dance [ http://science.nasa.gov/spaceweather/aurora/ gallery_01mar03.html ] high above. But the International Space Station (ISS [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050827.html ]) orbits at nearly the same height as many auroras [ http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/ auroras/ ], sometimes passing over [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010210.html ] them, and sometimes right through them. Still, the auroral electron [ http://www.aip.org/history/electron/ ] and proton [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/lament.html ] streams pose no direct danger to the ISS [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/ ]. In 2003, ISS Science Officer Don Pettit [ http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/pettit.html ] captured the green aurora, pictured above [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/ 24mar_noseprints.htm ] in a digitally sharpened image. From orbit [ http://science.nasa.gov/temp/StationLoc.html ], Pettit reported [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/crew/exp6/ spacechronicles.html ] that changing auroras [ http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/ ] appeared to crawl around like giant green amoebas [ http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artsep01/ amoeba.html ]. Over 300 kilometers below, the Manicouagan Impact Crater [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001213.html ] can be seen in northern Canada, planet Earth. |
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