[ASTRONOMIA] Aurora Slathers up the Sky
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/170...052e007857.jpg
image credit: Jack Fischer, Expedition 52, NASA
like salsa verde on your favorite burrito, a green aurora slathers up the sky in this june 25 snapshot from the International Space Station
about 400 kilometers above Earth, the orbiting station is itself within the upper realm of the auroral displays
Aurorae have the signature colors of excited molecules and atoms at the low densities found at extreme altitudes
emission from atomic oxygen dominates this view
the tantalizing glow is green at lower altitudes, but rarer reddish bands extend above the space station's horizon
the orbital scene was captured while passing over a point south and east of Australia, with stars above the horizon at the right belonging to the constellation Canis Major, Orion's big dog
Sirius, alpha star of Canis Major, is the brightest star near the Earth's limb
in apod.nasa.gov/apod
