Earth Observation

ISS040-E-129695 (6 Sept. 2014) --- A close look at this image, photographed by one of the Expedition 40 crew members onboard the International Space Station at 228 nautical miles above Earth, reveals a minor appearance of the Aurora Australis at lower left frame. The image was taken as the orbital outpost was flying over the Indian Ocean, several hundred miles southeast of the African continent. The camera's exposure time created an "exploded flare" effect from what appears to be the moon at upper left. The NanoRacks Cubesat deployer, attached to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo robotic arm, can be seen in upper center.