![\"Astronauts](\"http:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-T954wedtfbA\/TjGcF672vdI\/AAAAAAAAE2U\/K33K077i3Wk\/s590\/2011-07-28_112738.jpg\" "\\"Astronauts")
From NASA:<\/strong><\/p>\n Like a comet streaking across the atmosphere, the\u00a0Space Shuttle<\/a> Atlantis<\/em> left space for the final time on July 21, 2011, descending to a smooth landing at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This astronaut photograph, taken from the vantage of the International Space Station (ISS), shows the streak of an ionized plasma plume created by the shuttle\u2019s descent through the atmosphere.<\/p>\n At the time of the image, the ISS was positioned northwest of the Galapagos Islands, while\u00a0Atlantis<\/em> was roughly 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles) to the northeast, off the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. The maximum angle of the shuttle\u2019s descent was roughly 20 degrees, though it appears much steeper in the photo because of the oblique viewing angle from ISS. Parts of the space station are visible in the upper right corner of the image.<\/p>\n In the background of the image,\u00a0airglow<\/a> hovers over the limb of the Earth. Airglow occurs as atoms and molecules high in the atmosphere (above 80 kilometers, or 50 miles altitude) release energy at night after being excited by sunlight (particularly ultraviolet) during the day. Much of the green glow can be attributed to oxygen molecules.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When the Space Shuttle Atlantis came to a slow stop on the runway at Kennedy Space Center on July 21, it was the end of an era of spaceflight.\u00a0 Astronauts aboard the International Space Station captured amazing imagery of Atlantis\u2019 last descent through the atmosphere. It was a sad day for many Americans when the … Continue reading ISS crew captures stunning imagery of Atlantis’ return to Earth<\/span>