STEREOSCOPIC DETERMINATION OF AURORA USING ASTRONAUT PHOTOGRAPHY
Aurorae, the luminous and colorful phenomena observed in Earth's upper atmosphere, are essential for understanding space weather processes in the magnetosphere. Optical auroral observations typically rely on specially designed cameras stationed on the ground or onboard satellites. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have been trained to capture high-quality auroral images, resulting in tens of thousands of such photographs. Although these images have seen limited use in the past, they hold immense potential for providing
ultra-high-resolution data, particularly in studying the evolution of small-and medium-scale auroral structures. This study builds on previous research by proposing a novel method to utilize ISS photographs for space weather studies. The method extracts three-dimensional information about auroras, enabling precise altitude measurements of small-scale auroral structures while addressing challenges associated with both fine and large-scale formations. Enhanced reliability is achieved through improvements in image matching using epipolar lines and feature-based techniques, as well as geographic projections to reduce ground-feature interference. The findings underscore the significant value of ISS photographs in advancing our understanding of space weather phenomena.
Additional information: Mr. YU Yuan, u3011625@connect.hku.hk