< ISS007-E-10974 >
| NASA Photo ID | ISS007-E-10974 |
| Focal Length | 400mm |
| Date taken | 2003.07.27 |
| Time taken | 17:15:56 GMT |
Resolutions offered for this image:
1024 x 768 pixels 540 x 405 pixels 540 x 405 pixels 1000 x 661 pixels 1024 x 768 pixels 3032 x 2064 pixels 3032 x 2008 pixels 6144 x 4068 pixels 639 x 435 pixels
1024 x 768 pixels 540 x 405 pixels 540 x 405 pixels 1000 x 661 pixels 1024 x 768 pixels 3032 x 2064 pixels 3032 x 2008 pixels 6144 x 4068 pixels 639 x 435 pixels
Cloud masks available for this image:
Spacecraft nadir point: 46.5° N, 96.2° E
Photo center point:
Photo center point by machine learning:
Photo center point:
Photo center point by machine learning:
Nadir to Photo Center: West
Spacecraft Altitude: 203 nautical miles (376km)
Country or Geographic Name: | ASIA |
Features: | NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS, MOON |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | MOON, PAN- |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | |
Sun Elevation Angle: | -24° |
Sun Azimuth: | 353° |
Camera: | Kodak DCS760c Electronic Still Camera |
Focal Length: | 400mm |
Camera Tilt: | High Oblique |
Format: | 3060E: 3060 x 2036 pixel CCD, RGBG array |
Film Exposure: | |
| Additional Information | |
| Width | Height | Annotated | Cropped | Purpose | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1024 pixels | 768 pixels | Photographic Highlights | Download Image | ||
| 540 pixels | 405 pixels | Photographic Highlights | Download Image | ||
| 540 pixels | 405 pixels | No | No | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 1000 pixels | 661 pixels | No | No | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 1024 pixels | 768 pixels | Yes | Presentation | Download Image | |
| 3032 pixels | 2064 pixels | No | No | Download Image | |
| 3032 pixels | 2008 pixels | No | No | Publisher Request | Download Image |
| 6144 pixels | 4068 pixels | No | No | Presentation | Download Image |
| 639 pixels | 435 pixels | No | No | Download Image |
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No GeoTIFF is available for this photo.Image Caption: The sliver of the setting moon and clouds that shine at night--noctilucent clouds--caught the eye of astronaut Ed Lu aboard the International Space Station (ISS) last week.
Noctilucent clouds are very high clouds that look like cirrus clouds, but are much higher (75-90 km above the Earth's surface) than clouds that we observe every day. They are optically thin and can only be observed during twilight hours, when the sun is just below the horizon and only shines on the uppermost atmosphere. In this image, the limb of the Earth at the bottom transitions into the orange-colored troposphere, the lowest and most dense portion of the Earth's atmosphere. The troposphere ends abruptly at the tropopause, which appears in the image as the sharp boundary between the orange- and blue- colored atmosphere. The silvery-blue noctilucent clouds are far above this boundary.
This image was taken July 27, 2003 when the ISS was over central Asia. June and July is the season for noctilucent clouds in the northern hemisphere--they form in the polar mesosphere, generally above 50 degrees latitude. Recent studies address why noctilucent clouds exist, whether the frequency of occurrence has increased throughout the 20th century (some researchers believe they have), and whether their frequency reflects human activities. Astronauts and cosmonauts have observed them over northern latitudes (Europe, Russia) in the past, but this summer's display has been remarkable.
References:
Zahn, U. , Are Noctilucent Clouds Truly a "Miner's Canary" for Global Change?, Eos, Vol. 84, No. 28, July 15, 2003
Related:
//www.meteo.helsinki.fi/~tpnousia/nlcgal/nlcinfo.html
//lasp.colorado.edu/noctilucent_clouds/
//www.u-net.com/ph/mas/observe/nlc/nlc.htm
Noctilucent clouds are very high clouds that look like cirrus clouds, but are much higher (75-90 km above the Earth's surface) than clouds that we observe every day. They are optically thin and can only be observed during twilight hours, when the sun is just below the horizon and only shines on the uppermost atmosphere. In this image, the limb of the Earth at the bottom transitions into the orange-colored troposphere, the lowest and most dense portion of the Earth's atmosphere. The troposphere ends abruptly at the tropopause, which appears in the image as the sharp boundary between the orange- and blue- colored atmosphere. The silvery-blue noctilucent clouds are far above this boundary.
This image was taken July 27, 2003 when the ISS was over central Asia. June and July is the season for noctilucent clouds in the northern hemisphere--they form in the polar mesosphere, generally above 50 degrees latitude. Recent studies address why noctilucent clouds exist, whether the frequency of occurrence has increased throughout the 20th century (some researchers believe they have), and whether their frequency reflects human activities. Astronauts and cosmonauts have observed them over northern latitudes (Europe, Russia) in the past, but this summer's display has been remarkable.
References:
Zahn, U. , Are Noctilucent Clouds Truly a "Miner's Canary" for Global Change?, Eos, Vol. 84, No. 28, July 15, 2003
Related:
//www.meteo.helsinki.fi/~tpnousia/nlcgal/nlcinfo.html
//lasp.colorado.edu/noctilucent_clouds/
//www.u-net.com/ph/mas/observe/nlc/nlc.htm
