Earth Observation

ISS028-E-007274 (11 June 2011) --- This view of the sun peeking over the limb of the Earth was taken by the Expedition 28 crew members aboard the International Space Station while flying parallel to the terminator; the area between daylight and nighttime. This lighting condition occurs in the early summer and late fall for the station's orbit tracks. The rest of the year the orbital outpost passes through the terminator at angles to experience 16 sunrises and sunsets a day. All of the layers of the Earth?s atmosphere are depicted in a beautiful array of color lit by the sun; from near the surface to the darkness of space.