A good photograph is one that sparks a question.
Vimeo Video Link: https://vimeo.com/42909676
Vimeo Video Link: https://vimeo.com/42909676
In looking at the pictures taken from the International Space Station of the earth at night, I find my attention drawn to that thin line separating earth from space: Our atmosphere.
The First Question that comes to mind is: How thick is this protective layer?
The answer is that this layer you can see in the photograph above represent a line that extends ~100km above the surface of the earth. 60 miles. The distance you could drive in less than one hour on most freeways. The distance from Boston to Cape Cod. This thin protective layer allows the earth's average mean temperature to be 57 °F (14.4°C) (reference link) and not to be subjected to the -250 to +250 °F (-157 to 121°C) (reference link) that the International Space Station experiences between the side away from the sun and the side towards the sun.
The Second Question is: What are the colors you can see in the atmosphere? What causes this? There seem to be yellows, greens, reds.....