Atlantis Transits the Sun Just Before Landing

Source - Space Weather News for July 21, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

FINAL ACT: Space shuttle Atlantis landed in Florida this morning, bringing an end to NASA's 30-year shuttle program. Just 21 minutes before the de-orbit burn, a photographer in Germany snapped what may be the last-ever photo of a shuttle in space. He caught Atlantis transiting the face of the sun, silhouetted against a backdrop of solar fire in conjunction with nearby sunspot AR1254. Visit http://spaceweather.com for images and more information.

AURORA WATCH: A fast stream of solar wind is buffeting Earth's magnetic field on July 21st. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras, especially in the southern hemisphere where night skies are winter-dark. Aurora alerts are available from http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice) or http://spaceweathertext.com (text).