Tag: satellite imagery

In The Light

Composite map of the world assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite in April and October 2012.NASA Earth Observatory/NOAA NGDC
Composite map of the world assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite in April and October 2012.
NASA Earth Observatory/NOAA NGDC

Yeah, I am a huge Led Zeppelin fan, hence the title of this post. After yesterday’s fun “moon” picture I thought I would try to post something a little more edifying. I ran across the above photo on the NASA website. It’s the earth at night showing the concentration of electric lights around the world. According to NASA, the satellite used to create this image has a new sensor that is so sensitive it can detect the light coming from a single ship in the middle of the ocean.

Of course I wanted to look at what my part of the Earth, the U.S. looked like up close.

This image of the continental United States at night is a composite assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite in April and October 2012. The image was made possible by the satellite's "day-night band" of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), which detects light in a range of wavelengths from green to near-infrared and uses filtering techniques to observe dim signals such as city lights, gas flares, auroras, wildfires and reflected moonlight.NASA Earth Observatory/NOAA NGDC
This image of the continental United States at night is a composite assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite in April and October 2012. The image was made possible by the satellite’s “day-night band” of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), which detects light in a range of wavelengths from green to near-infrared and uses filtering techniques to observe dim signals such as city lights, gas flares, auroras, wildfires and reflected moonlight.
NASA Earth Observatory/NOAA NGDC

I couldn’t help but notice the darkness in the middle of the country. Hmm, not a whole lot of people out there. I couldn’t help but remember my 8 days without electricity during Hurricane Sandy. Looking at the whole Earth image, it was interesting to see that a majority of the light is concentrated along the coasts. My heart goes out to that lone speck of light way up north and in the middle of the black sea. Can you spot it?

Anyway, it’s just a really fascinating view of the world. Another way to think about things and relationships here on our planet.