NASA Astronaut Aboard the ISS Sends First Vine Video From Space

First Posted: Jun 09, 2014 06:14 PM EDT
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NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman has only been aboard the International Space Station for 12 days and he's already made history. On June 6 he shared the first-ever Vine video taken from outer space to give those a look at a rare day on the ISS.

Wiseman posted a six-second time-lapse on his Twitter account, @astro_reid, which encompassed a 92-minute orbit around Earth as the ISS crew witnessed a never-setting sun. He was able to achieve this because the space station happened to be flying parallel to the "terminator line" - a moving line that separates the day side and the night side of Earth.

The International Space Station travels at 17,500 miles per hour and orbits Earth every 92 minutes, allowing the astronauts to see up to 16 sunrises and sunsets each day. But during this particular rotation of Earth, because of the time of year and its tipped orbit, the ISS was aligned with the terminator line. The astronauts were able to see the sun for the duration of the orbit 240 miles above the Earth.

"For sky watchers that means that virtually every time the station comes over your house this time of year, you'll see it shining in sunlight even in the middle of the night," said Bob King of the Duluth News Tribune, in this Washington Post article. "Depending on your particular location, five passes a night are possible."

In a message that accompanied his Vine video, Wiseman wrote, "1st Vine from space! Single Earth orbit. Sun never sets flying parallel w/terminator line," via this Space.com article. In April, NASA astronaut and Commander of the ISS, Steve Swanson, documented the first Instagram photo sent from space after he captured a "selfie" from the ISS window that faces Earth.

Similarly, the first tweet was sent from space in 2009 when Mike Massimino sent, "Launch was awesome!! I am feeling great, working hard, & enjoying the magnificent views, the adventure of a lifetime has begun!"

At this rate, maybe Google or Facebook should consider purchasing the International Space Station for the prime location and ability to obtain rare footage that can be broadcasted throughout the world.

You can read more about ISS' Expedition 40 and the first ever Vine video sent from space in this io9.com article.

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