Earth at Night

Satellite images of Earth at night have been a curiosity for the public and a tool of fundamental research for at least 25 years. They have provided a broad, beautiful picture, showing how humans have shaped the planet and lit up the darkness.
Reno, Nevada, at Night
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Reno, Nevada, at Night

“The biggest little city in the world” is nestled like a jewel amidst the mountains.

Published Feb 11, 2013

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Marine Layer Clouds off the California Coast
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Marine Layer Clouds off the California Coast

The Suomi NPP VIIRS “day-night band” makes it possible to view low clouds even at night—something earlier satellites have had difficulty doing.

Published Jan 22, 2013

Image of the Day Atmosphere Fires Unique Imagery Human Presence

Liège at Night
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Liège at Night

This city in Belgium is a hub of economic activity and tourism.

Published Jan 14, 2013

Image of the Day Life Human Presence

Waves in Airglow
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Waves in Airglow

During a thunderstorm over Texas, atmospheric ripples were visible in the faint emissions of light of the upper atmosphere.

Published Jan 10, 2013

Image of the Day Atmosphere Fires Unique Imagery Remote Sensing

Moon Phases Over the Persian Gulf
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Moon Phases Over the Persian Gulf

These satellite images illustrate the effects of moonlight on viewing this desert region.

Published Jan 2, 2013

Image of the Day Fires Unique Imagery Human Presence Remote Sensing

Auroras Light Up the Antarctic Night
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Auroras Light Up the Antarctic Night

The “southern lights” were bright enough to illuminate the ice below.

Published Jan 1, 2013

Image of the Day Atmosphere Fires Unique Imagery Snow and Ice Remote Sensing

City Lights Illuminate the Nile
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City Lights Illuminate the Nile

At night, the Nile River Valley and Delta resemble a giant flower in this image from October 13, 2012.

Published Dec 28, 2012

Image of the Day Land Fires Unique Imagery Human Presence

Gas Drilling, North Dakota
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Gas Drilling, North Dakota

Cities and people are scarce in northwestern North Dakota, but nighttime satellite imagery shows the Bakken Formation aglow with brightly-lit drilling equipment.

Published Dec 27, 2012

Image of the Day Land Fires Unique Imagery Human Presence

City Lights of the United States 2012
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City Lights of the United States 2012

Updated for 2012, this map of lights across America has a least 10 times better resolution than previous maps.

Published Dec 25, 2012

Image of the Day Fires Unique Imagery Human Presence

Monitoring the Arctic during Polar Darkness
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Monitoring the Arctic during Polar Darkness

Acquired October 30, 2012, this day-night band image offers a detailed view of clouds, snow cover, and sea ice.

Published Dec 23, 2012

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Fires Unique Imagery Snow and Ice

City Lights of Australia, or Not
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City Lights of Australia, or Not

What are those lights in the Outback?

Published Dec 20, 2012

Image of the Day Land Fires Unique Imagery Human Presence Remote Sensing

Korea and the Yellow Sea
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Korea and the Yellow Sea

While city lights at night serve as a good proxy for population density, North Korea provides a dark exception.

Published Dec 18, 2012

Image of the Day Land Water Fires Unique Imagery Human Presence

Old Night Vision Meets New
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Old Night Vision Meets New

New images from Suomi NPP are an order of magnitude better than previous satellite views of city lights.

Published Dec 14, 2012

Image of the Day Land Fires Unique Imagery Human Presence Remote Sensing

City Lights of South America’s Atlantic Coast
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City Lights of South America’s Atlantic Coast

Night life takes on a new meaning when viewed from space.

Published Dec 9, 2012

Image of the Day Land Fires Unique Imagery Human Presence Remote Sensing

Night Lights 2012 - The Black Marble
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Night Lights 2012 - The Black Marble

This animated globe shows the city lights of the world as they appeared to the new Suomi NPP satellite, which has at least 10 times better light-resolving power than previous night-viewing satellites.

Published Dec 6, 2012

Image of the Day Land Water Fires Unique Imagery Human Presence Remote Sensing

City Lights of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East
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City Lights of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East

A sensitive new sensor allows a clearer view of dim night lights on Earth.

Published Nov 28, 2012

Fires Unique Imagery

City Lights of Asia and Australia
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City Lights of Asia and Australia

A sensitive new sensor allows a clearer view of dim night lights on Earth.

Published Nov 28, 2012

Fires Unique Imagery Human Presence

City Lights of the Americas
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City Lights of the Americas

The Suomi NPP satellite has a potent new sensor for distinguishing Earth’s night lights.

Published Nov 28, 2012

Fires Unique Imagery Human Presence

Night Lights 2012 Map
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Night Lights 2012 Map

The lights of cities and villages trace the outlines of civilization in this global view.

Published Nov 27, 2012

Fires Unique Imagery Human Presence Remote Sensing

South Asian Night Lights
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South Asian Night Lights

Here’s what India looked like to the Suomi NPP satellite during Diwali.

Published Nov 15, 2012

Image of the Day Unique Imagery Human Presence

Blackout in New Jersey and New York
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Blackout in New Jersey and New York

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, densely populated areas of the U.S. East Coast sat in the dark.

Published Nov 2, 2012

Image of the Day Severe Storms Human Presence

Sandy after Landfall
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Sandy after Landfall

Acquired October 30, 2012, this nighttime image shows Sandy after the storm made landfall.

Published Oct 30, 2012

Atmosphere Severe Storms

Overnight View of Hurricane Sandy
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Overnight View of Hurricane Sandy

Special sensors on the Suomi NPP satellite captured this view of the storm and the East Coast of the United States as lit by moonlight.

Published Oct 29, 2012

Image of the Day Atmosphere Water Severe Storms Human Presence

Auroras over North America
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Auroras over North America

A geomagnetic storm in early October lit up the skies with northern lights that were detected by an Earth-observing satellite.

Published Oct 10, 2012

Image of the Day Atmosphere

Kuwait City at Night
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Kuwait City at Night

The patterns and colors of lighting reveal the urban geography of the capital city.

Published Sep 17, 2012

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Gas Flares in Bahía de Campeche
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Gas Flares in Bahía de Campeche

Daytime and nighttime satellite imagery shows the burning of methane that goes together with the oil extraction process.

Published Sep 14, 2012

Image of the Day Land Water Human Presence

Night View of Hurricane Isaac
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Night View of Hurricane Isaac

Isaac, a slow-moving storm, hit the Gulf Coast as a category 1 hurricane on August 28, 2012.

Published Aug 30, 2012

Image of the Day Atmosphere Severe Storms

Mount Tongariro Erupts
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Mount Tongariro Erupts

A new satellite captured the eruption of a volcano at night on New Zealand's North Island.

Published Aug 8, 2012

Image of the Day Land Volcanoes Remote Sensing

Night View of Fires in Siberia
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Night View of Fires in Siberia

The Suomi NPP satellite carries an instrument so sensitive to low light levels that it can detect wildfires in the middle of the night.

Published Aug 7, 2012

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Fires

The Lights of London
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The Lights of London

Unique satellite instruments capture the view of the Olympic host city at night.

Published Jul 26, 2012

Image of the Day Human Presence