Glamour shots from space: solar flare, space station

 

click to enlarge This image provided by NASA shows the Sun unleashing a medium-sized solar flare, a minor radiation storm and a spectacular coronal mass ejection on June 7, 2011. The large cloud of particles mushroomed up and fell back down looking as if it covered an area of almost half the solar surface. The ejection should deliver a glancing blow to Earth’s magnetic field during the late hours of June 8th or June 9th. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras when the CME arrives. (AP Photo/NASA)

 

GREENBELT,
Maryland (AP) — A medium-sized solar flare has erupted from the sun in
an impressive display captured by NASA cameras. Scientists say that the
event won’t have a significant impact on Earth.

NASA
says the flare peaked Tuesday and created a large cloud that appeared
to cover almost half the surface of the sun. Images were recorded by the
orbiting satellite called the Solar Dynamics Observatory.

A
news release says solar energy released by the event should deliver a
“glancing blow” to Earth’s magnetic field on Wednesday or Thursday.

But
it’s not expected to cause a major impact. The U.S. National Weather
Service is predicting minor effects on satellites and weak impacts on
some power grids.

click to enlarge This May 23, 2011 photo made by Expedition 27 crew member Paolo Nespoli from the Soyuz TMA-20 following its undocking and released by NASA shows the International Space Station and the docked space shuttle Endeavour, left, at an altitude of approximately 220 miles. A Soyuz capsule had never headed for home while a shuttle was parked at the space station, providing a rare opportunity for the photo session. (AP Photo/NASA, Paolo Nespoli)

Unique shots of space station and shuttle released

WASHINGTON
(AP) — NASA has released unprecedented glamour photos of a space
shuttle linked to the International Space Station taken from a departing
spaceship.

Italian
astronaut Paolo Nespoli (NES’-po-lee) took the photos two weeks ago
from inside a Russian Soyuz capsule soon after he left the space station
for the trip back to Earth. The space station and attached shuttle
Endeavour rotated for the photo shoot while the capsule hovered 200
miles above Earth.

A
Soyuz capsule had never headed for home while a shuttle was parked at
the space station, providing a rare opportunity for the photo session.
At the time, Endeavour was on the next-to-last shuttle mission.

The shuttle fleet is retiring after one last flight next month with a load of supplies for the station.

International Space Station portrait

SOURCE: The Associated Press

click to enlarge This May 23, 2011 photo released by NASA, shows the International Space Station and the docked space shuttle Endeavour, top, flying at an altitude of approximately 220 miles, in an image taken by Expedition 27 crew member Paolo Nespoli from the Soyuz TMA-20 following its undocking. (AP Photo/NASA, Paolo Nespoli)