If Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, had a sister she would be the goddess of Aurora. Glowing green ripples form arcs that constantly transform their shape into new glowing diaphanous forms. There is nothing static about auroras. They are always moving, always changing, and like snowflakes, each display is different from the last.
Earth science satellites are designed to study our home planet’s surface and atmosphere, but occasionally they capture views of other objects in low-Earth orbit such as satellites, the International Space Station, and rocket debris.
As geomagnetic storms cause beautiful displays of aurora across the United States, astronauts onboard the International Space Station also have the opportunity to take a look. Green colors of the aurora are dominant in this image captured by a digital still camera on October 4, 2001.
Astronauts supplied the International Space Station with a new logistics module; tested tools, technologies, and techniques to refuel satellites in space; and collected old equipment.
Acquired September 12, 2001, this true-color image of Brooklyn shows two green oases in the middle of cityscape: Prospect Park and Green-Wood Cemetery.