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
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
Changing patterns of nighttime lights are of great interest to demographers, engineers, and humanitarian relief organizations.
Published May 16, 2017
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
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
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, 2012Image of the Day Land Water Fires Unique Imagery Human Presence Remote Sensing
Connect the dots and history emerges.
Published May 23, 2017
The peninsula is highly recognizable even at night, especially when looking north, as our map-trained brains expect.
Published Nov 17, 2014
When viewed from the International Space Station, the night skies are illuminated with light from many sources.
Published Oct 24, 2011
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station took these midwinter panoramas of the St. Lawrence River and surrounding cities.
Published Feb 16, 2015
Satellite data reveals increases in December holiday lighting in the United States, mostly in the suburbs.
Published Dec 17, 2014Image of the Day Unique Imagery Human Presence Remote Sensing
New images from Suomi NPP are an order of magnitude better than previous satellite views of city lights.
Published Dec 14, 2012Image of the Day Land Fires Unique Imagery Human Presence Remote Sensing
This photograph shows one of the few places on Earth where an international boundary can be seen at night.
Published Oct 5, 2015
Two photos, taken 48 years apart, provide contrasting views of southern Asia.
Published Jan 26, 2015
The human landscape of Arabian cities stands out clearly when you see the lights.
Published Dec 30, 2013
Unique satellite instruments capture the view of the Olympic host city at night.
Published Jul 26, 2012
