Astronaut Explains “Intriguing Sight” of Shiny Dot Noticed on Earth

An astronaut aboard the Worldwide Area Station (ISS) not too long ago shared an “intriguing” daylight sight of a vibrant dot in the midst of a desert on Earth. “A vibrant dot within the Negev desert…so uncommon to see human-made lights in day passes!” European Area Company (ESA) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti tweeted whereas sharing three images exhibiting a distant white speck in opposition to a brown panorama. 

Within the caption, Ms Cristoforetti defined a bit about its origin. “It is a concentrated solar energy plant, one of many applied sciences to get renewable power from the solar. with one of many world’s tallest solar energy towers,” she mentioned. 

Have a look beneath: 

Intriguing sight! A vibrant dot within the Negev desert…so uncommon to see human-made lights in day passes! It is a concentrated solar energy plant, one of many applied sciences to get renewable power from the Solar. With one of many world’s tallest solar energy towers! #MissionMinerva pic.twitter.com/MFbCpXpxmG

— Samantha Cristoforetti (@AstroSamantha) August 25, 2022

As per CNET, the intense dot was seen due to the Ashalim Photo voltaic Thermal Energy Station, which makes use of mirrors to pay attention daylight to an 820-feet-tall tower within the Negev desert of Israel. This tower is taken into account one of many world’s tallest solar energy towers. It’s sufficiently big to create the noticeable dot of sunshine that Ms Cristoforetti noticed from the ISS. 

This is a picture from 2020 of what it appears like from a bit nearer to the bottom: 

Shabbat shalom from the unimaginable Ashalim Photo voltaic Thermal Energy Station!#ShabbatShalom #Israel

📷: https://t.co/xny4FZp4XS pic.twitter.com/tSROojSklF

— Israel in New York (@IsraelinNewYork) January 10, 2020

Ms Cristoforetti additionally added the hashtag #MissionMinerva to her put up. Minerva is the identify of her second expedition to the ISS. According to the ESA web site, Ms Cristoforetti first flew to the Station in 2014 for her Italian Area Company ASI-sponsored mission ‘Futura’.

Earlier this yr, she was once more launched on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft from Florida as a part of Crew-4 in an effort to function lead for all US Orbital Phase (USOS) operations. 

In the meantime, since being shared, Ms Cristoforetti’s tweet has taken the web by storm. Commenting on the put up, one consumer wrote, “A light-weight of hope for the environment”. One other mentioned, “Tough to see out of your images, however simpler as soon as zoomed in.  I might wager its very easy to pick in individual although. In all probability sparkles like a star on earth.” “Very spectacular,” commented third. “what a view!” mentioned fourth.