Southern Lights and Shuttle Glow
Explanation:
A background of distant stars,
sinuous and spiky bands of Southern Lights
(Aurora Australis), and
the faint glow of charged plasma (ionized atomic gas) surrounding
the Space Shuttle Discovery's engines give this photo
from the STS-39
mission an eerie, otherworldly look.
This image reflects Discovery's
April 1991 mission well - its
payload bay (PLB) was
filled with instruments designed
to study celestial objects, aurora and atmospheric phenomena,
and the low Earth orbit environment around the PLB itself.
The aurora
seen here are at a height of about
50-80 miles and caused by
charged particles in the solar wind,
channeled through the
van Allen Radiation Belts which excite atoms
of oxygen in the upper atmosphere.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
