Scientists explain the mysterious nature of flares on satellite images of the Earth

Astronomers from NASA announced a new explanation of the mysterious pale blue flashes that appeared regularly in the photographs obtained by the space probe DSCOVR. Scientists believe that the camera probe therefore captures sunlight reflected from ice crystals in the Earth's atmosphere.

Mysterious outbreak on Earth was first spotted by astronomers in the pictures of the DSCOVR probe, which was launched by the National office of oceanic and atmospheric administration in 2015. Powerful camera on Board the probe, located between the earth and the Sun, makes the our planet every hour. As a result, during one year of operation of the probe, there were more than hundreds of outbreaks, the origin of which has long remained the subject of disputes of scientists.

As one of the first outbreaks were recorded over the ocean, it was suggested that it is not that other, as the reflection of sunlight from the water surface of the ocean. Soon, however, these outbreaks have been recorded over land. The hypothesis that such outbreaks could occur when the reflection of light from water in lakes and rivers, scientists have rejected almost immediately — spots on the images were too large.

To find an explanation for this phenomenon came from a team of scientists led by researcher space flight Center NASA Goddard Alexander Marshak. To begin with, the researchers collected data on all solar flares ever captured on the ground on modern satellite imagery. In total, numbered 866 flares, scientists have reported in his article published recently in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Then, through a series of physical computing, the researchers found that outbreaks occurred when the angle between the Earth and the Sun were equal to the angle between the Earth and a satellite camera. It is under these conditions, the light from the ice crystals, horizontally placed in the planet's atmosphere, will be reflected directly into the camera lens, resulting in photos and there is a bright flash.

In conclusion, the researchers demonstrated that the reflected light is likely to come not from Earth. Scientists have found that all outbreaks have been recorded when the surface of the planet was hidden behind a thin layer of light Cirrus clouds floating high enough in the atmosphere. As you know, Cirrus clouds consist of ice crystals. So scientists made a conclusion about the nature of the mysterious flashes.

Translated by «Yandex.Translator»