Posted on 12/07/2012 9:13:19 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Explanation: This remarkably complete view of Earth at night is a composite of cloud-free, nighttime images. The images were collected during April and October 2012 by the Suomi-NPP satellite from polar orbit about 824 kilometers (512 miles) above the surface using its Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). VIIRS offers greatly improved resolution and sensitivity compared to past global nightlight detecting instrumentation on DMSP satellites. It also has advantages compared to cameras on the International Space Station. While the space station passes over the same point on Earth every two or three days, Suomi-NPP passes over the same point twice a day at about 1:30am and 1:30pm local time. Easy to recognize here, city lights identify major population centers, tracking the effects of human activity and influence across the globe. That makes nighttime images of our fair planet among the most interesting and important views from space.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit: NASA, NOAA NGDC, Suomi-NPP, Earth Observatory; Data and Processing: Chris Elvidge and Robert Simmon]
I’m surprised India is lit up so much.
Prison guards in Pyongyang are the only with lights in North Korea
A billion candles
Take the hi res USA photo and import it into a decent editor to see the ground around the Grand Canyon, salt flats, Ely Nevada etc. It makes it even better.
Why is Washington state so lit up?
What is the large grouping of lights in Sibera far north of India?
I never thought it is possible to see lights from the earth from a far.
Clicks through to a 3600x1800 jpeg. Very nice.
India: could be cookfires as well as electrification as elsewhere.
Western Australia shouldn't be that bright. I heard they were brushfires?
You can see the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Also, take a look at the U.S. midwest/plains states. Orderly, regular grid of lights following highways.
This is astronomy, how?
They took the photo from Uranus.
I think that’s Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland. Cosy little thing they got going there, I guess.
‘cuzza “from space” ... get it ?
Despite false claims about the Great Wall of China, electric lights are the ONLY man-made object visible from space.
Ammo for the climate scam agenda
Does anyone know how much of the planet’s actual land mass is populated? My guess is that it’s only about 15%.....
Amazing.
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