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Saturn? Is that a UFO--or the ISS? What's the name
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AURORA WATCH:
Sky watchers around the arctic circle should be alert for auroras
on Feb. 10th. That's when a solar wind stream is expected to hit
Earth, sparking high-latitude geomagnetic storms: gallery.
THE VIEW FROM ABOVE:
When the solar wind arrives and auroras
flare up, a great place to be is Earth orbit. Here is the view from
the International Space Station (ISS), 200 miles high:
Crewmembers took the picture during a mild geomagnetic storm on
Feb. 1st. At the time, the ISS was orbiting over the Bay of St.
Lawrence and the camera (a Nikon
D2Xs) pointing north with a view of Quebec and New Foundland.
More images: #1,
#2,
#3,
#4,
#5.
Although the auroras appear to be below the ISS, they are in fact
at about the same altitude. Indeed, from time to time, the space
station flies right through the Northern Lights--an indescribable
experience according to astronauts who have been there.
Will they experience the indescribable this weekend? A solar wind
stream is en route and could put on a lovely show for the combined
crews of the ISS and space shuttle Atlantis. Stay tuned!
SIGHTINGS:
Last night the International Space Station flew over Borken, Germany--and
right by the Andromeda Galaxy. Günther Strauch snapped this picture
using his Canon
EOS 20D:
Halfway across the Continent in Normandy, France,
Stephane Palfray trained her 4.5-inch telescope on the bright streak
and easily resolved the station's solar arrays and living quarters:
image.
The station has grown so large, "it only takes a small
telescope to see the details," she says.
Today, space shuttle Atlantis docked with the ISS,
adding even more to the station's size and lustre. Sky watchers
in Europe and North America, ready your telescopes for a series
of bright flybys in the nights ahead: flyby
alerts.
more images: from
John Locker of Wirral UK; from
Quentin Déhais of Near Le Havre, Normandy, France; from
Robert Malmström of Reutlingen-Rommelsbach, Germany; from
Francesco De Comite of Mouscron Belgium; from
Mark Thomas of Nottingham, England, UK; from
Roy Keeris of Zeist, The Netherlands;
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