ISS028-E-24847
| NASA Photo ID | ISS028-E-24847 |
| Focal Length | 22mm |
| Date taken | 2011.08.13 |
| Time taken | 19:17:37 GMT |
Resolutions offered for this image:
1000 x 692 pixels 540 x 374 pixels 4256 x 2832 pixels 640 x 426 pixels
1000 x 692 pixels 540 x 374 pixels 4256 x 2832 pixels 640 x 426 pixels
Cloud masks available for this image:
Spacecraft nadir point: 42.5° N, 113.4° E
Photo center point: 46.5° N, 101.0° E
Photo center point by machine learning:
Photo center point: 46.5° N, 101.0° E
Photo center point by machine learning:
Nadir to Photo Center: West
Spacecraft Altitude: 203 nautical miles (376km)
Country or Geographic Name: | MONGOLIA |
Features: | METEOR, AIRGLOW, IRKUTSK AT NIGHT, STATION HARDWARE, SPACECRAFT |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | PAN- |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | 50 (26-50)% |
Sun Elevation Angle: | -21° |
Sun Azimuth: | 44° |
Camera: | Nikon D3S Electronic Still Camera |
Focal Length: | 22mm |
Camera Tilt: | High Oblique |
Format: | 4256E: 4256 x 2832 pixel CMOS sensor, 36.0mm x 23.9mm, total pixels: 12.87 million, Nikon FX format |
Film Exposure: | |
| Additional Information | |
| Width | Height | Annotated | Cropped | Purpose | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 pixels | 692 pixels | No | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 540 pixels | 374 pixels | Yes | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 4256 pixels | 2832 pixels | No | No | Download Image | |
| 640 pixels | 426 pixels | No | No | Download Image |
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Image Caption: Looking Down on a Shooting Star
Many people have spent time outdoors, under a dark sky, watching for "shooting stars" to streak across the firmament - in some cultures this event is an occasion to make a wish, in others it is viewed as a herald of important events such as the birth of a future ruler. While not an actual star, shooting stars do come from outer space, in the form of meteoroids entering the Earth's atmosphere.
Meteoroids are small objects moving through the Solar System that are attracted to the Earth by its gravitational pull. These small objects - which are typically fragments of asteroids or comets but can also originate from the Moon or Mars- begin to heat and burn up as they collide with air molecules in the Earth's atmosphere, creating a bright vapor trail or streak. At this point, the object is known as a meteor. If any remnant of the object survives to impact the Earth's surface, it becomes known as a meteorite. While most meteorites are natural in origin, on occasion space debris in orbit can reenter the atmosphere and also become a meteor - or even a meteorite!
This astronaut photograph, taken from the International Space Station when it was over an area of China approximately 400 km to the northwest of Beijing, provides the unusual perspective of looking down on a meteor (image center) as it passes through the atmosphere. The image was taken on August 13, 2011 during the Perseid Meteor Shower that occurs every year in August. The Perseid meteors are particles that originate from the comet Swift-Tuttle along its orbit path; the comet's orbit is close enough for these particles to be swept up by the Earth's gravitational field every year - leading to one of the most dependable meteor shower displays.
Green and dim yellow airglow appears as thin layers visible above the limb of the Earth, extending from image left to upper image right. Atoms and molecules above 50 kilometers in the atmosphere are excited by sunlight during the day, and then release this energy at night producing primarily green light observable from orbit. Part of a Station solar panel array is visible at image upper right; behind the panel, a bright region indicates the Sun low on the horizon.
Many people have spent time outdoors, under a dark sky, watching for "shooting stars" to streak across the firmament - in some cultures this event is an occasion to make a wish, in others it is viewed as a herald of important events such as the birth of a future ruler. While not an actual star, shooting stars do come from outer space, in the form of meteoroids entering the Earth's atmosphere.
Meteoroids are small objects moving through the Solar System that are attracted to the Earth by its gravitational pull. These small objects - which are typically fragments of asteroids or comets but can also originate from the Moon or Mars- begin to heat and burn up as they collide with air molecules in the Earth's atmosphere, creating a bright vapor trail or streak. At this point, the object is known as a meteor. If any remnant of the object survives to impact the Earth's surface, it becomes known as a meteorite. While most meteorites are natural in origin, on occasion space debris in orbit can reenter the atmosphere and also become a meteor - or even a meteorite!
This astronaut photograph, taken from the International Space Station when it was over an area of China approximately 400 km to the northwest of Beijing, provides the unusual perspective of looking down on a meteor (image center) as it passes through the atmosphere. The image was taken on August 13, 2011 during the Perseid Meteor Shower that occurs every year in August. The Perseid meteors are particles that originate from the comet Swift-Tuttle along its orbit path; the comet's orbit is close enough for these particles to be swept up by the Earth's gravitational field every year - leading to one of the most dependable meteor shower displays.
Green and dim yellow airglow appears as thin layers visible above the limb of the Earth, extending from image left to upper image right. Atoms and molecules above 50 kilometers in the atmosphere are excited by sunlight during the day, and then release this energy at night producing primarily green light observable from orbit. Part of a Station solar panel array is visible at image upper right; behind the panel, a bright region indicates the Sun low on the horizon.
