                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2021 April 23

                      Flying Over the Earth at Night II
    Video Credit: NASA, Gateway to Astronaut Photography, ISS Expedition
                    53; Music: The Low Seas (The 126ers)

   Explanation: Recorded during 2017, timelapse sequences from the
   International Space Station are compiled in this serene video of planet
   Earth at Night. Fans of low Earth orbit can start by enjoying the view
   as green and red aurora borealis slather up the sky. The night scene
   tracks from northwest to southeast across North America, toward the
   Gulf of Mexico and the Florida coast. A second sequence follows
   European city lights, crosses the Mediterranean Sea, and passes over a
   bright Nile river in northern Africa. Seen from the orbital outpost,
   erratic flashes of lightning appear in thunder storms below and stars
   rise above the planet's curved horizon through a faint atmospheric
   airglow. Of course, from home you can always check out the vital signs
   of Planet Earth Now.

                            Celebrate: Earth Day
                      Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

