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.  
    
                                  2026 July 13  
    
                               Auroras from Space  
       Image Credit: ESA, NASA, ISS Expedition 74; Capture: Sophie Adenot;  
             Music: Circle of Light (Patrick Hawes & Grace Davidson)  
    
     Explanation: What do auroras look like from above? Behold! From the  
     ground, auroras dance high above clouds, frequently causing spectacular  
     displays. From space, they look a bit different. As the International  
     Space Station (ISS) circles the Earth every 90 minutes, it sometimes  
     sees auroras below that are active on the night side. A one-hour  
     time-lapse video showing auroras from above was captured about two  
     weeks ago from the orbiting ISS. The ISS -- and all objects in low  
     Earth orbit -- will pass well above green auroras but just a bit above  
     red glowing auroras. The auroras' electron and proton streams are too  
     thin to be a danger to the ISS, just as clouds pose little danger to  
     airplanes. From orbit, as magnetic fields change, auroras can appear to  
     squiggle and crawl like giant snakes. The featured one-minute video was  
     captured by French astronaut Sophie Adenot of the ISS Expedition 74  
     crew.  
    
      Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (after  
                                      1995)  
                       Tomorrow's picture: asteroid double  
       __________________________________________________________________  
    
         Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)  
              NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.  
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                               & Michigan Tech. U.  
    
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