A sensor on the Suomi NPP satellite designed to detect faint light observed the aurora over northern Europe.
Published Mar 9, 2016
Astronauts are taught to concentrate on the shapes of coastlines for a visual cue about where they are when circling the planet. The nose of Cape Karmel and the bay that protects Haifa are shapes that stand out.
Published Mar 7, 2016
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station take special care to acquire crisp night shots.
Published Feb 22, 2016
The reflection of the Moon on the sea surface reveals highly complex patterns on the sea surface.
Published Feb 8, 2016
The Suomi NPP satellite captured this nighttime view of a major storm system as it started dumping heavy snow on the eastern United States.
Published Jan 24, 2016
Remnants of Hurricane Patricia dropped heavy rains in Texas and Louisiana.
Published Oct 26, 2015
This photograph shows one of the few places on Earth where an international boundary can be seen at night.
Published Oct 5, 2015
Fires burn night and day across Washington, Idaho, and Oregon.
Published Aug 22, 2015
Solar storms smacked into Earth’s magnetic field and provoked auroras over the southern and northern hemisphere just after the summer solstice.
Published Jun 28, 2015
High-altitude clouds appeared as far south as the continental United States in early June 2015.
Published Jun 19, 2015
This astronaut photograph includes lights from several sources: cities, roads, fishing boats, gas flares, lightning, and even glowing air.
Published May 30, 2015
City lights trace the coastlines, while moonlight illuminates the snow and clouds.
Published May 11, 2015
Darkness descended on much of Nepal after a powerful earthquake rattled the country’s already stressed electrical grid.
Published May 2, 2015
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
On Saint Patrick’s Day, the Suomi NPP satellite acquired a view of the aurora from above while citizen scientists were busily collecting shots from below.
Published Mar 29, 2015
Cities, moonlight, and fossil-fuel industries frame the Gulf of Mexico with light.
Published Mar 23, 2015
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station took these midwinter panoramas of the St. Lawrence River and surrounding cities.
Published Feb 16, 2015
Two photos, taken 48 years apart, provide contrasting views of southern Asia.
Published Jan 26, 2015
Lightning illuminated the center of the storm as the space station flew over at night.
Published Jan 25, 2015
According to satellite data, nighttime lights in some Middle Eastern cities shine more than 50 percent brighter during Ramadan than during the rest of the year.
Published Jan 1, 2015Image of the Day Unique Imagery Human Presence Remote Sensing
Satellites detect increases in lighting around the holidays, particularly in suburbs and rural areas. While the trend says interesting things about culture, it also tells us something important about energy use.
Published Dec 25, 2014Image of the Day Unique Imagery Human Presence Remote Sensing
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
Satellite sensors detect increases in December holiday lighting in the United States, particularly in the suburbs and rural areas.
Published Dec 16, 2014
Satellite sensors detect increases in December holiday lighting in the United States, particularly in the suburbs and rural areas.
Published Dec 16, 2014
Satellite sensors detect increases in December holiday lighting in the United States, particularly in the suburbs and rural areas.
Published Dec 16, 2014
The peninsula is highly recognizable even at night, especially when looking north, as our map-trained brains expect.
Published Nov 17, 2014
Distinct colors mark the communities and commerce along the Tsushima Strait, between Japan and South Korea.
Published Oct 19, 2014
Night lights illustrate dramatically the relative economic activity of cities and countries.
Published Feb 24, 2014
An astronaut snapped this image of lines of gas flares at an oilfield in southern Iraq at night.
Published Feb 22, 2014
Satellite views of night lights help reveal the strings of roads, rails, and rivers than connect the citizens of the United States.
Published Nov 26, 2013
