Just observed South Atlantic Anomaly

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Salviati

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Just observed South Atlantic Anomaly
« on: January 06, 2013, 05:26:25 PM »
This evening at about 7.00 PM (timezone GMT+1) i was observing the earth from ISS, link:
Live from the International Space Station

When the ISS was in this position:


i began to view strange flashes of light, sort of shooting stars (the station just entered the night zone, as you can see from the pic). Another observer explained it as the SAA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Atlantic_Anomaly

The amazing fact is that they weren't flashes in the atmosphere, but in the silicon of the CCD of the camera! And the astronauts see them as phosphenes, because their retina is excited the same way the CCD is.

They are subatomic particles coming from the Sun that interact with the Van Allen belt, in a point of the earth where they are closer to our planet. It is the point where orbiting vehicles (and astronauts as well) are exposed at maximum level of radiations. The Hubble Space Telescope too has to close the lid to not get damaged.

Well, this evening i learned something i didn't know, and i like it.

Q: Why do you think the Earth is round?
A: Look out the window!