{
  "id": 11901092,
  "title": "First photos from Smile spacecraft show Earth like you've never seen it before",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/first-photos-from-smile-spacecraft-show-earth-like-youve-never-seen",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-04T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Science",
    "slug": "live-science",
    "url": "https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/auroras-appear-in-broad-daylight-in-smile-spacecrafts-eerie-first-images-of-earth-space-photo-of-the-week"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new Earth-observing satellite, Smile, has captured its first photos, revealing an aurora that appears to glow like a half moon while twisting over the North Pole during daylight hours. The ultraviolet images, shared on September 30, showcase a giant aurora that is typically only visible at night and near the poles. In the images, Earth glows like a half moon, with the aurora covering about a third of the sunlit side of our planet. Far behind, stars fall like raindrops as Smile maneuvers in its orbit. The mission, a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and China's Academy of Sciences, officially began science operations this week. Smile's highly elliptical orbit allows for a record-breaking 45-hour observation window over the North Pole. The satellite carries four science instruments to detect X-rays, magnetic fields, and light ions, with the Ultraviolet Aurora Imager being the main focus for observing auroras. Scientists tested the spacecraft's soft X-ray imager by pointing it at the distant supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, confirming that the instrument is functioning well.",
  "summary": "The joint European-Chinese Smile satellite officially began its science operations this week, sharing a ghostly image of Earth's sunlit North Pole ringed by giant auroras.",
  "key_points": [
    "First photos from Smile spacecraft reveal unique aurora glow",
    "Half moon-shaped aurora covers third of sunlit Earth",
    "Smile's 45-hour orbit allows unprecedented North Pole observations"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}