The human landscape of Arabian cities stands out clearly when you see the lights.
Published Dec 30, 2013
Several of the oldest cities of northwestern Europe are highlighted in this nighttime astronaut photograph from August 10, 2011.
Published Aug 29, 2011
City lights trace the outline of Italy's “boot” and the island of Sicily.
Published Jul 4, 2011
Alternating clusters of light and darkness show where civilization has carved out a place alongside and amidst the deserts.
Published Dec 11, 2017
Coastal cities flourish amidst a more moderate climate along the Red Sea.
Published Aug 12, 2013
The peninsula is highly recognizable even at night, especially when looking north, as our map-trained brains expect.
Published Nov 17, 2014
The bright lights of the cities are intersected and offset by the dark valley of the Jordan River and Dead Sea.
Published Aug 18, 2014
In this astronaut photograph from the International Space Station, the lights of Qatar show informative demographic detail that is very difficult to discern in daylight images.
Published Nov 12, 2012
In this image, an astronaut photograph of the Los Angeles area is overlaid on a topographic image made from the United States Geological Survey National Elevation Dataset (1 arcsecond resolution). The grid of streets is outlined by orange (sodium vapor) and blue-green (mercury vapor) lights. The airport, the naval docks, and downtown LA are especially bright.
Published May 1, 2008
The aurora borealis, the Moon, and Moscow light up a spring evening.
Published Jun 23, 2014
Milan, the largest city in Italy, is one of Europe’s major transportation, industrial, and commercial hubs, and a global center of fashion and culture.
Published Mar 14, 2011
A nearly uninterrupted string of lights stretches from Philadelphia to Hartford.
Published May 1, 2017
Buenos Aires is one of the larger cities seen by orbiting crews. Twelve million people, almost one third of all Argentines, live in this city, often called the “Paris of the South”.
Published Mar 16, 2003
This nighttime astronaut photo shows the city lights of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on September 11, 2009.
Published Sep 28, 2009
This nighttime photograph of Tokyo, Japan, was taken by International Space Station astronaut Dan Tani on February 5, 2008. The heart of the city is brightest, with ribbons of lights radiating outward from the center along streets and railways.
Published Apr 22, 2008
Thailand and Cambodia have distinctly different hues at night compared to nearby seas.
Published May 14, 2018
Clouds often obscure land features in satellite images, but viewing conditions were perfect when Aqua captured this shot.
Published Mar 12, 2014
City lights trace the coastlines, while moonlight illuminates the snow and clouds.
Published May 11, 2015
Astronauts collect a lot of photos of Earth at night, but they don't always know what they are looking at. You can help.
Published Aug 30, 2014
The brilliant lights of Belgium shine in this nighttime photograph taken from the International Space Station.
Published May 5, 2014
Home to one-fifth of Egypt’s population, it is the largest city in the Middle East and Africa’s second largest.
Published Apr 6, 2015
Satellite map of the man-made lights on Earth, which scientists use to study development and urbanization.
Published Oct 23, 2000
