APOD: Dark Shuttle Approaching (2014 Aug 03)

[APOD Robot]

Dark Shuttle Approaching

Explanation: What's that approaching? Astronauts on board the International Space Station first saw it in early 2010 far in the distance. Soon it enlarged to become a dark silhouette. As it came even closer, the silhouette appeared to be a spaceship. Finally, the object revealed itself to be the Space Shuttle Endeavour, and it soon docked as expected with the Earth-orbiting space station. Pictured above, Endeavour was imaged near Earth's horizon as it approached, where several layers of the Earth's atmosphere were visible. Directly behind the shuttle is the mesosphere, which appears blue. The atmospheric layer that appears white is the stratosphere, while the orange layer is Earth's Troposphere. This shuttle mission, began with a dramatic night launch. Tasks completed during this shuttle's visit to the ISS included the delivery of the Tranquility Module which contained a cupola bay window complex that allows even better views of spaceships approaching and leaving the space station.

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[bactame]

Interesting how much of life is serendipity...this Shuttle shot shows the structure of the atmosphere better than any other image i've seen.

[Zoomer]

Only assuming (dangerous) the shuttle is approaching ISS with its open payload bay facing the camera, what could have caused the light colored object on the shuttle near the front of the right bay door?

[neufer]

Interesting how much of life is serendipity...
this Shuttle shot shows the structure of the atmosphere better than any other image i've seen.

• Which is why it is used in the Wikipedia mesosphere article:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesosphere

[b][color=#0000FF][size=150]Steve McQueen/Bullitt in Stratopause[/size][/color][/b]

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[neufer]

Only assuming (dangerous) the shuttle is approaching ISS with its open payload bay facing the camera, what could have caused the light colored object on the shuttle near the front of the right bay door?

[size=150][color=#0000FF]barrel hinge[/color][/size]

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[Psnarf]

Sunlight reflecting off of the starboard top window?

[Boomer12k]

Inspiring....

:---[===] *

[Piper]

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[Zoomer]

Sunlight reflecting off of the starboard top window?

Okay, I can imagine sunlit atmosphere reflected off said window after comparing what I see as a motion type smear of the shuttle running at about the same angle as this object. Good call!

[neufer]

Sunlight reflecting off of the starboard top window?

Okay, I can imagine sunlit atmosphere reflected off said window after comparing what I see as a motion type smear of the shuttle running at about the same angle as this object.

It is too far back to be the starboard top window, IMO.

[ta152h0]

I am thinking this might be the vehicle to land man and materials on Mars. Smaller maybe