Two strange blue blobs of light shimmering in our planet's atmosphere may be seen in a unique photo of Earth taken from the International Space Station (ISS) by an astronaut.
A large lightning strike occurred somewhere in the Gulf of Thailand, as evidenced by the initial blob of light that can be seen at the bottom of the photograph.
According to ScienceAlert, lightning strikes are frequently obscured by clouds, making it difficult to detect them from the ISS. A dramatic bright ring was produced by the lightning in this specific strike because it occurred close to a huge, circular opening at the top of the clouds.
This allowed the blue lightning to enlighten the surrounding walls of the hazy caldera-like structure. The second blue blob, which is seen in the image's upper right corner, is a byproduct of the Moon's distorted light.
Due to the Earth's natural satellite orientation to the ISS, the sunlight it reflects via the atmosphere is refracted into a bright blue blob with a misty glow. According to NASA's Earth Observatory, this effect is brought on by some of the moonlight diffracting off of microscopic particles in the atmosphere.
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Coastline Cities in the Night
China's southernmost island, Hainan, is outlined in the picture's background by the lights of the province's coastline cities. Hainan and the mainland were connected millions of years ago. The two landmasses were then split apart by a fracture that developed in the Hainan Straight.
Currently, Hainan is located roughly 12 miles (20 kilometers) from mainland China.
Storm clouds in numerous locations in the photograph distort the white and orange city lights. The lights of Ubon Ratchathani, Amnat Charoen, and Yasothon, as well as the network of motorways connecting the cities, highlight Thailand's landscape, whereas the less inhabited regions of southern Laos lie inside a band of darkness that extends inland from the coast of Vietnam.
"The astronaut photographer also captured a bright lightning strike over the Gulf of Thailand, while the Moon appears just above Earth's limb on the upper right edge. Fishing fleets seen near Vietnam's coast illuminate the South China Sea," NASA said in the photo's description.
On October 30, 2021, astronaut image ISS066-E-24707 was taken with a Nikon D5 digital camera and a 28 millimeter focal length.
It was presented by the Johnson Space Center's Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit and the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility. A crew member from Expedition 66 took the picture.
The laboratory is supported by the International Space Station Program as a component of the ISS National Lab to assist astronauts in taking images of Earth that will be most useful to researchers and the general public.
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
