Screen capture from a time lapse video of images from the International Space Station. Watch the video below. (NASA)
Speeding above the Earth at 17,000 miles per hour and an altitude of 250 miles, astronauts aboard the International Space Station have arguably one of the best views of our planet. A German videographer has compiled many images taken by the orbiting outpost into an extraordinary video.
Scroll down to watch this amazing video
Among the highlights of the video are views of the aurora borealis over the United States, the aurora australis on the other side of the globe near Australia, as well as various nighttime and daytime views of other continents. One pass covers the United States from southern California to the Hudson Bay and overflies Colorado and the Mile High City in the blink of an eye.
Shooting locations in order of appearance:
1. Aurora Borealis Pass over the United States at Night
2. Aurora Borealis and eastern United States at Night
3. Aurora Australis from Madagascar to southwest of Australia
4. Aurora Australis south of Australia
5. Northwest coast of United States to Central South America at Night
6. Aurora Australis from the Southern to the Northern Pacific Ocean
7. Halfway around the World
8. Night Pass over Central Africa and the Middle East
9. Evening Pass over the Sahara Desert and the Middle East
10. Pass over Canada and Central United States at Night
11. Pass over Southern California to Hudson Bay
12. Islands in the Philippine Sea at Night
13. Pass over Eastern Asia to Philippine Sea and Guam
14. Views of the Mideast at Night
15. Night Pass over Mediterranean Sea
16. Aurora Borealis and the United States at Night
17. Aurora Australis over Indian Ocean
18. Eastern Europe to Southeastern Asia at Night
From their perch 250 miles above the Earth, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) capture some amazing imagery. The latest from them is of a Progress supply craft as it burns up in the atmosphere upon reentry.
NASA explains:
Have you ever wondered how the astronauts and cosmonauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS) take out the trash? Several times a year, robotic spacecraft carrying a variety of items—including food, water, fuel, oxygen, medical supplies, replacement parts, and research materials—are launched from Earth to dock with the ISS. These spacecraft are built and launched by ISS international partners in Russia,Japan, and the Europe. After the cargo has been transferred to the ISS, the spacecraft is refilled with refuse, and then undocked and de-orbited—essentially using the Earth’s atmosphere as an incinerator for both the spent spacecraft and the refuse.
This astronaut photograph highlights the reentry plasma trail of one such spacecraft, the ISS Progress 42P supply vehicle (Russian designation M-10M). The Progress is based on the Soyuz design, and can fly autonomously or under remote control from the space station. Progress 42P docked at the ISS on April 29, 2011, and was undocked and de-orbited on October 29, 2011. Astronauts on the ISS took a time-lapse sequence of the event; the image above is part of that sequence.
The ISS was located over the southern Pacific Ocean when this image was taken. Light from the rising sun illuminates the curvature of the Earth limb (horizon line) at image top, but does not completely overwhelm the airglow visible at image top left. Airglow is the emission of light by atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere when they are excited by ultraviolet radiation.
Image of the Progress 42P as it burns up in the atmosphere on October 29, 2011. (NASA)
A storm chasers flipped vehicle is seen on the side of an Oklahoma road last week. (YouTube / TornadoVideosdotnet)
Getting the latest and most dramatic storm footage has become a popular way for many storm chasers to fuel their hobby and many have turned it into a lucrative business. The actions by some in the chaser community and the risks they take have once again come under scrutiny, this time by the Weather Channel’s Mike Bettes.
Mike Bettes opined in an ‘Open Mike’ segment last week, “The one thing I always hear from professional chasers is how safety is their number one concern and warning the public is their number one priority. Me? I can B.S. on that one. When you’re getting hit by debris and you’re flipping your car while pursuing a tornado, you’re not very concerned about your safety or anyone else’s.”
As storm chasing has become a more popular hobby, fears are rising that it is only a matter of time before someone gets killed in pursuit of a storm.
Hurricane-force winds pounded the Colorado high country on Saturday, November 12, 2011. Click the image for a larger view.
Fed by a strong jet streak roaring above the Colorado Rocky Mountains, a mountain wave setup over the western half of the state yesterday. Strong winds were the result and were combined with heavy snow in the central and northern mountains.
The incredibly strong winds that would be the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane ripped through Colorado’s high country in the past 24 hours. Many locations reported gusts in excess of 100mph downing power lines and trees and creating hazardous driving conditions.
The top wind gust reported by the National Weather Service was 115mph south of Frisco in Summit County.
Berthoud Pass saw a 113mph gust at the Mines Peak Summit (12,500 feet) with sustained winds to 86mph. After sending that reading, the station’s anemometer (wind sensor) broke.
Other locations recording gusts near 100mph included Loveland Pass at 100mph and Kenosha Pass recorded 101mph. Berthoud in Larimer County saw 99mph and the National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesa lab in Boulder recorded 90mph.
Here in Thornton we thankfully didn’t see winds nearly that fast however ours were notable. We recorded a 38mph gust Saturday afternoon and a 47mph gust shortly after midnight Sunday morning.
High winds like these, while quite strong, are not entirely unusual. Dangers from these powerful winds include power outages, flying debris, collapsed structures and the potential to overturn vehicles. Learn more in our story, Winter weather preparedness: The threat of high winds in Colorado.
Below is a water vapor satellite showing the mountain waves as the moved across the southern part of Colorado.
Stay up to date with all the latest Colorado weather:
Water vapor satellite imagery shows the mountain waves that existed across much of southeastern Colorado and northeastern New Mexico around 19:45 UTC on 12 November 2011. (CIMSS)
November 13 to November 19 - This Week in Denver Weather History
Wind and snow are two hallmarks of Denver’s November weather and we see an abundance of those events in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. Damaging wind makes numerous appearances as does wintry weather.
From the National Weather Service:
11-14
In 1970…heavy snowfall totaled 7.2 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 22 mph on the 12th and 14th. Most of the snow… 4.2 inches…fell on the 12th.
12-13
In 1961…heavy snowfall totaled 5.6 inches at Stapleton Airport. East-northeast winds gusted to only 20 mph.
12-15
In 1909…light snowfall totaled 6.7 inches in downtown Denver over the 4 days. This was the first measurable snowfall of the season. Northeast winds were sustained to 15 mph on the 12th.
13
In 1951…northwest wind gusts to 50 mph were recorded at Stapleton Airport.
In 1983…winds gusted to around 60 mph in and near the foothills. There were scattered power outages and a few broken windows across metro Denver. The strong winds did 10 thousand dollars in damage to awnings at the Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver. West winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
13-14
In 1925…heavy post-frontal snowfall totaled 6.4 inches overnight in downtown Denver. Northwest winds were sustained to 27 mph with gusts to 29 mph on the 13th.
In 1974…northwest winds gusted to 52 mph at Stapleton International Airport…warming the temperature to 60 degrees shortly after midnight on the 13th. A cold front cooled temperatures into the 20’s by late morning and produced snowfall of 3.7 inches. The low temperature dipped to 14 degrees on the 14th.
In 1993…an upper level low pressure system combined with a weak but moist upslope flow to produce heavy snow across metro Denver. Snowfall amounts averaged 6 to 8 inches with up to 16 inches in the foothills at the Eldora Ski Area. Snowfall totaled 6.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to only 20 mph on the 14th. Most of the snow fell on the 14th.
In 1994…heavy snow developed rapidly along the Front Range urban corridor with the heaviest snow over northwest metro Denver. Sixteen to 18 inches of snow fell in Boulder… Lafayette…and Louisville. This was the second heavy snowfall over northwest metro Denver in 10 days. Eleven to 14 inches of snow were measured from Longmont southward into Aurora. Snowfall totaled 12.1 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 29 mph on the 13th. Most of the snow…9.0 inches…fell on the 14th.
In 1997…heavy snow fell overnight in portions of Jefferson and Boulder counties. About 5.5 inches of snow were reported in Boulder…while 4 inches were measured 12 miles southwest of Morrison and 6 miles southwest of Golden. Snowfall totaled only 1.8 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Northeast winds gusted to 26 mph at Denver International Airport.
14
In 1874…west winds blew at gale speeds from midnight until mid afternoon when the winds abated. The maximum sustained velocity was 48 mph.
In 1928…strong winds caused 3 hundred to 5 hundred dollars damage in Boulder. Wind gusts to 70 mph were recorded at Valmont just east of Boulder.
In 2006…an upper level jet stream combined with a high surface pressure gradient behind a cold front to produce strong winds across metro Denver. A wind gust to 66 mph was recorded in Longmont. North winds were sustained to 38 mph with gusts to 52 mph at Denver International Airport where winds were strong and gusty most of the day.
Weather is a constant topic here in Colorado thanks to the widely varying conditions we can experience – from snow and Arctic cold to tornadoes and scorching heat. ThorntonWeather.com already works to keep you informed with not only our website but also our Facebook page and via Twitter.
Now we have added a new way to get the latest Thornton weather news and information: Google+.
When Google+ was launched this past summer, it was strictly for individuals and that probably limited its growth. This week they finally launched pages for businesses and organizations and ThorntonWeather.com is happy to join.
The United States returned to Standard Time at 2:00am Sunday. Did you remember to set your clocks back?
Did you remember to set your clocks back last night? Daylight Savings Time came to an end at 2:00am Sunday morning.
The ritual of changing our clocks twice a year can be met with some resistance as some people struggle to adjust their body’s internal clock. Others actually like the return to standard time as they get to enjoy an extra hour of sleep.
The time change definitely has big effects on how early it gets dark in the evening. On Saturday, sunset was at 5:54pm but on Sunday the sun will disappear over the horizon at 4:53pm. For many this means that when they get home from work it will now be dark and outdoor activities will be significantly curtailed as a result.
It won’t be all that long though before Daylight Savings Time returns. On March 11, 2012 we will ‘spring forward.’
Some of the recent history of Daylight Savings Time (from Wikipedia):
Daylight saving time in the United States was first observed in 1918. Most areas of the United States currently observe daylight saving time, with the exceptions being the states of Arizona and Hawaii along with the territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
From 1987 to 2006, daylight saving time in the United States began on the first Sunday of April and ended on the last Sunday of October. The time was adjusted at 2:00 AM (0200) local time (as it still is done now).
Since 2007, daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November, with all time changes taking place at 2:00 AM (0200) local time. In 2011, daylight saving time began on March 13 and will end on November 6.
November 6 to November 12 - This Week in Denver Weather History
Our look back at this week in Denver weather history is dominated with two types of events: snow and wind. November is our second snowiest month and we see many significant snowfall events in the past. Wind is a fact of life on the plains and in Denver and damaging events have occurred with relatively frequency as we can see below.
From the National Weather Service:
5-6
In 1938…heavy snowfall totaled 7.5 inches over downtown Denver. North winds were sustained to 16 mph with gusts to 19 mph on the 5th.
5-7
In 1918…rain was mixed with and changed to snow…which became heavy and totaled 8.1 inches in downtown Denver. North winds were sustained to 21 mph with gusts to 23 mph.
6
In 1962…west winds gusted to 55 mph…briefly reducing the visibility to 1 1/2 miles in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport. The strong winds blew all day.
In 1989…high winds to 62 mph were recorded in Boulder. Northwest winds gusted to 33 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1991…strong westerly Chinook winds blew into metro Denver with gusts to 88 mph recorded at Rollinsville and to 51 mph in Boulder. Later…northeast winds with gusts of 30 to 40 mph were common across all of metro Denver behind a cold front…which produced only 0.2 inch of snowfall at Stapleton International Airport.
7
In 1958…a strong cold front produced northeast wind gusts to 52 mph at Stapleton Airport where some blowing dust was observed.
In 1980…Chinook winds at sustained speeds of 40 mph were recorded with a peak gust to 71 mph measured at Wondervu southwest of Boulder. West winds gusted to 25 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1989…strong winds buffeted many foothills areas. Wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph were recorded in Boulder and Longmont. Northwest winds gusted to 43 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1996…wind gusts to 75 mph were recorded at Golden Gate Canyon and at the Rocky Flats Environmental Test Facility northwest of Denver. Northwest winds gusted to 40 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 1998…upslope conditions…coupled with a moist and unstable air mass…allowed heavy snow to develop in the foothills west of Denver. Snowfall generally ranged from 4 to 6 inches…but 7 inches were measured 4 miles south of Evergreen. Only 1.2 inches of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. This was the first measurable snow of the season.
7-8
In 1969…wind gusts to 48 mph in downtown Boulder caused minor damage.
8
In 1896…southwest Chinook winds sustained to 42 mph with gusts as high as 46 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 53 degrees.
In 1977 near-blizzard conditions in blowing snow caused the closure of I-70 to the west of Denver in clear creek canyon and east of Denver to Limon. Northeast wind gusts to 46 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport where snowfall totaled only 1.1 inches.
In 1984…a rare November thunderstorm produced west winds gusting to 31 mph…but only 0.04 inch of rain at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1996…high winds gusting from 80 to 100 mph were recorded at Wondervu in the foothills southwest of Boulder. West northwest winds gusted to 32 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2006…the temperature in Denver climbed to a high of 80 degrees. This was the first time the temperature had ever exceeded the 70’s in November since records began in 1872. This new all-time record maximum temperature for the month of November was also a new daily record and the highest temperature ever recorded so late in the season.
October offered a bit of everything for everyone from record warmth to heavy snowfall.
October 2011 started out quite warm but then stabilized into a seasonal pattern. As is often the case with Colorado weather though, at one point we went from record high temperatures to snow in a span of two days.
In terms of temperature, Denver finished the month with an overall overage temperature of 52.6 degrees. This was 1.6 degrees above the normal for the month of 50.9 degrees. Temperatures ranged from a high of 87 degrees on the first of the month down to 14 degrees on the 26th and 27th.
Here in Thornton we were slightly cooler with an average temperature of 50.4 degrees. Our highs ranged from a top mark of 86.6 degrees on the first down to a very cold 12.8 degrees on the 27th.
Two record high temperatures were tied or broken during the month. On the 15th, the mercury climbed to 82 degrees which tied the record for the date last set in 1938. On the 24th the temperature hit 80 degrees, breaking the previous record high for the date of 79.
Quite a bit more precipitation was recorded than normal during October 2011. 1.79 inches fell into the rain bucket at DIA which is 0.82 inch above normal. Much of that precipitation fell on October 8th when 1.04 inches was recorded, a record for the date. DIA also recorded a trace of snowfall, the first of the season.
The Mile High City was hit with its first snowstorm on the 25th and 26th when 8.5 inches of the white stuff fell. That also was the snowfall total for the month which far exceeded the normal of 4.2 inches.
Thornton nearly mirrored Denver’s precipitation as we recorded 1.75 inches during the month between rain and snowmelt. Our snowfall fell short of DIAs however as we recorded 6.6 inches during the storm late in the month.
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2011...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2011
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 90 10/01/1892
LOW -2 10/29/1917
HIGHEST 87 10/01 90 -3 85 10/03
LOWEST 14 10/26 -2 16 20 10/28
10/27
AVG. MAXIMUM 67.3 65.3 2.0 69.7
AVG. MINIMUM 37.9 36.6 1.3 40.9
MEAN 52.6 50.9 1.7 55.3
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX = .01 4 5.3 -1.3 4
DAYS >= .10 3 2.4 0.6 2
DAYS >= .50 1 0.5 0.5 0
DAYS >= 1.00 1 0.1 0.9 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 1.04 10/08 TO 10/08
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 31.2 1969
TOTALS 8.5 4.2
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 400 438 -38 300
SINCE 7/1 495 576 -81 335
COOLING TOTAL 23 5 18 8
SINCE 1/1 964 769 195 870
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/17 10/07
LATEST 05/05
...................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.8
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 4/205
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 49/210 DATE 10/06
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 63/200 DATE 10/06
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.40
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 13
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 15
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 3
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 44
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 1 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 1
LIGHT RAIN 5 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 1 SNOW 2
LIGHT SNOW 3 SLEET 0
FOG 5 FOG W/VIS
ThorntonWeather.com's east camera captured the storm at its height early Tuesday morning.
After weeks of what some would call boring weather, Thornton saw things change considerably over the past week. Not one, but two snowstorms have hit the city getting us 2/3 of the way to the snow total we had for all of last season.
Here in Thornton we measured 6.6 inches with last week’s snowstorm and today’s added 7.9 inches. That brings us to a seasonal total of 14.5 inches.
For comparison, the last season was absolutely dismal and we only received 21.2 inches over the entire period. On average Denver receives 61.7 inches during a season.
The most recent storm prompted Winter Storm Warnings as the snow fell quickly after dark and lasted into the morning. The ground was much colder this time and aided by wind, it accumulated on roads unlike last week’s storm which saw the snow melt as quick as it fell.
While the morning commute was a mess and slow moving, it was relatively uneventful. Much to the chagrin of local students, most school districts remained open for the day. The sun started making an appearance after noon and by the evening a good bit of blue sky was above.
Below are time lapse videos taken from our two webcams of the storm. They cover the 18 hour period from 6:00pm on November 1 to 12:00pm on November 2.
Weather, natural disasters & climate news and information.
