NASA -- At the height of 250 miles from the surface of the Earth orbits the International Space Station (ISS). It offers a rather encompassing view of the planet. It comes with a low Earth orbit position or the LEO, the ISS is able to completely orbit the Earth in roughly 90-minute intervals. Since the ISS flies over the planet at a speed of five miles per second, astronauts are able to witness hurricanes, eclipses and Aurorae.
It is in this particular instance when the ISS released a new photo of the Earth. They were also able to capture a beautiful vista of the moon as it shines over the Earth and lights up the night sky. If people looked closer at the photos, they's be able to see what seems like a glowing green curve that's shining a bit above the planet. This is the edge of the atmosphere that provides a blanket of protection.
The Earth's atmosphere comes in varying layers. The first layer is called the troposphere. It is almost 12.5 miles high and ends where the exosphere begins, which is up to 6,200 miles high. The next striking feature that makes the photo amazing is the presence of the Moon. It is a glowing orb of white that shines when it is reflected by sunlight.
The Moon does not glow with a light on its own. Instead, it relies on the light from the sun which is how it accompanies the stars in the sky at night.
Finally, the photo shows the billions of stars that cover the vastness of space throughout the universe. In the Milky Way Galaxy alone, there are about 150 billion stars. In a tweet, NASA said, "Imagine seeing the Moon, the Earth and the Stars all in one photo?" It is definitely a treat for the eyes!
There are currently three astronauts that are aboard the ISS and each one is conducting various scientific experiments. The orbital laboratory can house at many as 6 astronauts plus a few number of guests once in a while. The size of the ISS may be comparable to that of a six-bedroom suite with all the features and facilities needed by anyone who wants to survive in space.
These stunning images of the world can truly be inspirational. It inspires more research studies to be done in space to discover more about the universe out there.
