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'Against Clouds And City Lights:' A Photo Of The Shuttle's Fiery Reentry : The Two-Way Astronauts aboard the International Space Station took a spectacular shot of the glowing plasma trail left by the space shuttle on its way home.
The Two-Way

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'Against Clouds And City Lights:' A Photo Of The Shuttle's Fiery Reentry

NASA released a stunning picture of the space shuttle Atlantis making its reentry back to Earth. The picture was taken aboard the International Space Station and shows, as NASA describes it, "Atlantis, appearing like a bean sprout against clouds and city lights, on its way home:"

This unprecedented view of the space shuttle Atlantis, appearing like a bean sprout against clouds and city lights, on its way home, was photographed by the Expedition 28 crew of the International Space Station. Airglow over Earth can be seen in the background.
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NASA
This unprecedented view of the space shuttle Atlantis, appearing like a bean sprout against clouds and city lights, on its way home, was photographed by the Expedition 28 crew of the International Space Station. Airglow over Earth can be seen in the background.
NASA

In the background, you're looking at airglow over Earth.

The New York Times reports that Michael Fossum, a NASA astronaut aboard the space station, floated in the windowed cupola and remarked on Atlantis' plasma trail. In orbit, the space shuttle was flying at a speed of about 17,500 mph and after firing its rockets it slowed down to make a still blazing hypersonic descent to Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Earlier today, Mark blogged the the landing that closed the book on a 30-year shuttle program.

The Two-Way

The Two-Way