Airglow lingers over the Indian Ocean

Airglow lingers over the Indian Ocean. Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory  features airglow, which is caused by radiation in our planet’s upper atmosphere.

Scientists study patterns of airglow to determine whether they can provide new insight into the solar cycle or the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Airglow lingers over the Indian Ocean

The image was captured on July 31, 2020 by an astronaut onboard the International Space Station as it orbited over the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world’s oceanic divisions, covering 70,560,000 km (27,240,000 sq mi) or 19.8% of the water on Earth’s surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by the Southern Ocean or Antarctica, depending on the definition in use. Along its core, the Indian Ocean has some large marginal or regional seas such as the Arabian Sea, the Laccadive Sea, the Somali Sea, Bay of Bengal, and the Andaman Sea.

To the south it is bounded by the Southern Ocean or Antarctica, depending on the definition in use. Along its core, the Indian Ocean has some large marginal or regional seas such as the Arabian Sea, the Laccadive Sea, the Somali Sea, Bay of Bengal, and the Andaman Sea.

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer