More than being nice to look at, it offers a unique view of where people in the world live. Why were so many orbits needed? Because at any given time, there could be a layer of cloud blocking the view of the ground from the satellite. It was made by a satellite which circled the earth 312 times taking pictures as it went. Data from DMSP’s Operational Linescan System can be used to see city lights.Here you can see a beautful satellite picture of the Earth in darkness.

The DMSP satellites are run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, monitoring the meteorological, oceanographic and solar–terrestrial physics environments for the US Department of Defense.

This year, ESA astronaut and WWF ambassador André Kuipers will photograph Earth from the International Space Station as people pull the plug on all non-essential lights from 20:30 to 21:30 local time.įor more information, visit the Earth Hour website. This sixth annual 'Earth Hour' is organised by the World Wildlife Fund and supported by ESA. On 31 March, millions of people around the world will switch off their lights for 60 minutes in a demonstration against climate change and to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. This is evident in all areas pictured in the animation.īut by indicating population and economic growth, bright spots on these images also represent areas of high energy consumption, emissions and pollution – factors that greatly contribute to climate change. Over that 18-year period, the country’s gross domestic product jumped some $377 billion. For example, lights in Poland in 1992 appear dim, but are multiplied in the 2010 image.

Increased illumination in the second image is also an indicator of economic growth. The images show night illumination for 19.īright areas highly correlate with high population density – such as the densely populated cities like London, Paris and Rome.Ĭoastal areas are also more populated than inland regions, making the outline of Europe clearly visible in these night images.

Night satellite view of earth