Earth's Colorful Atmospheric Layers Photographed from Space This
spectacular image of sunset on the Indian Ocean was taken by
astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The
image presents an edge-on, or limb view, of the Earth’s
atmosphere as seen from orbit. A spectacular new image taken by
astronauts on the International Space Station shows the various
layers of Earth's atmosphere during sunset over the Indian
Ocean. A brilliant sequence of colors in the image denotes each
of the layers of Earth's atmosphere, which are visible here
because the picture was taken while the space station had an
edge-on, or limb, view of the Earth. From this vantage point,
the Earth's curvature can also be made out. The troposphere ?
the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere and the one in which
humans dwell and weather occurs ? appears in deep oranges and
yellows. The troposphere can extend from the planet's surface to
a height between 3.5 to 12.5 miles (6 and 20 km). This lowest
layer contains more than 80 percent