Astronaut Scientific Debriefings, 1962-1963

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Scientific Debriefing
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It wasn't so distinctive as to move back on to it. It was very faint
. ' Cooper:
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'4,nd definitely lighter than the sky. It was picking up some light of.•some type,
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-'jt was light in contrast to the sky •
• 'ick Day :
Could you see this better out ot the corner of your eye?
C\'poper: Yes. Sort of that type of thing. I'm almost certain· that this was
over South America, just coming up on·to the northeastern part of South America.
It was around 50 degrees West and about zero degrees of latitude.
Roach:
This reminds me of what Mr. Schirra saw off Madagascar.
Cooper:
He saw .it off North Africa. It seemed to be ·quite extensive but not .well
defined. I-twas rather diffused but not covering the whole earth.
Roach:
Could you tell us what happens when you pass from day into night, around
twilight? . We are interested in horizon effect after sunset•
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(Cooper draws some more pict~es.)
Cooper: You never tire of looking at the sunsets. As the sun begins to get down
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towards the horizon it is very well defined and not diffused as it is 'when looking
It is quite white
through the atmosphere, and it is quite difficult to look at.
and as i t gets on down to where the sun begins to impinge on the horizon line it
does give ·a spreading effect. The sky is getting quite dark here and you get the
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impression of blackness up here.
(Illustrating.) The layer is bright orange·
color and light spreading out in this direption•••
As the sun begins to go down it is replaced by this' bright gold orange. It extends
out ·for some way. It defines the horizon line fairly well at this ·time. The sun
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does begin to get this flattened effect.
Roach:
What was it'·s maximum flattening?
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Cooper:
I never got too much. It appears to get down part way below the horizon
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