Hey, there! Log in / Register

Our snow from space

By adamg on Sat, 02/14/2015 - 12:38pm
Boston in the snow as seen from the International Space Station

See it larger.

Astronaut Terry Virts posted this photo of the Boston area from the International Space Station today.

Neighborhoods: 
Boston
Topics: 
Weather
Free tagging: 
Snow


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

By Chris77 on Sat, 02/14/2015 - 1:49pm.

Look at that Olympic stadium!

up
Voting closed 0

By Markk02474 on Sat, 02/14/2015 - 1:58pm.

All that white snow very effectively combats global warming by reflecting solar energy back into space. OK, so this month, we have more than done our share of global cooling!

up
Voting closed 0

By Nancy L on Sat, 02/14/2015 - 2:04pm.

I think snow keep the sun's heat from being absorbed by the earth but not by carbon and other green house gases, like methane, in the atmosphere.

up
Voting closed 0

By John T on Sat, 02/14/2015 - 5:29pm.

The atmosphere is transparent to light in the visible part of the spectrum, where the sun's energy peaks. Dark ground absorbs this visible light, warms up, and re-radiates the energy in the infrared (heat) part of the spectrum. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases increase the opacity of the atmosphere primarily in the infrared, trapping the re-radiated heat in the atmosphere.

But throw down a snow cover and the visible light isn't absorbed -- it reflects back unchanged as visible light, to which the atmosphere is transparent and so that energy escapes back to space.

So snow cover does effectively counter atmospheric heating.

up
Voting closed 0

By karenz on Sat, 02/14/2015 - 5:13pm.

That is truly amazing!

up
Voting closed 0

By Matthew on Sat, 02/14/2015 - 6:43pm.

I just hope that the ISS stays safe from all that junk floating around out in orbit... you know -- space savers.

up
Voting closed 0