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Science

‘Black Marble’: These Are the Most Detailed Satellite Images of Earth at Night Yet

Dec. 5, 2012 8:33pm Liz Klimas

SAN FRANCISCO (TheBlaze/AP) — Twinkling city lights, raging wildfires and colorful auroras are lit up in new dazzling nighttime views of the Earth.

The new images released Wednesday are courtesy of a newly launched NASA-NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite that’s equipped with a sensor to observe the planet at night. Here’s how the sensor works, according to NASA:

The new sensor, the day-night band of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), is sensitive enough to detect the nocturnal glow produced by Earth’s atmosphere and the light from a single ship in the sea. Satellites in the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program have been making observations with low-light sensors for 40 years. But the VIIRS day-night band can better detect and resolve Earth’s night lights.

There’s the Nile River bathed in city lights. A map of the United States shows the populated East Coast illuminated. Light from fishing boats can be pinpointed.

NASA NOAA Satellite Images Show Details of Earth at Night Thanks to New Sensor

Nile River Valley and delta. (Photo: NASA Earth Observatory via flickr)

n this image provided by NASA, the United States of America is seen at night from a composite assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite in April and October 2012. (Image: AP/NASA)

The satellite also captured the glow from natural sources including moonlight, northern lights and naturally-occurring fires. The sensors on the satellite is allowing scientists to gather data of events they couldn’t necessarily see from space before.

“For all the reasons that we need to see Earth during the day, we also need to see Earth at night,” Steve Miller, a researcher at NOAA’s Colorado State University Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, said in a statement. “Unlike humans, the Earth never sleeps.”

(Image: NASA Earth Observatory via flickr)

NASA’s flickr album with more images from the satellites is titled “Black Marble.”

“The night is nowhere as dark as we might think,” Miller said. And with the VIIRS day-night band helping scientists to tease out information from human and natural sources of nighttime light, “we don’t have to be in the dark anymore, either.”

Composit map of Earth assembled from data taken by the satellite from April 2012 through October. (Image: NASA Earth Observatory via flickr)

Watch NASA’s video of the satellite image:

It is expected that the satellite will provide data that will make forecasting weather events at night better as well, program scientist for NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System Mitch Goldberg said in a statement.

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Comments (65)

ronin99999
Posted on December 6, 2012 at 4:08pm
We used the2003 NASA nightscape for demo of our software and I was doing some business with a couple of South Korean firms. We had the entire nightlight shot of the planet on a PDA and we could zoom into different parts. I always liked to show them the shot of the surrounding area of South Korea and I would tell them I didn’t know that both Japan AND South Korea were Islands. There were hardly any lights from North Korea and that hasn’t changed.
NASA view of Korea and the Yellow sea.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=79796

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BeakerTwang
Posted on December 6, 2012 at 2:03pm
Anyone else notice that Europe looks like a dragon heading toward North America? I’m not sayin’, I’m just sayin’.

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- OniKaze
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 3:37pm
  No offense man, but maybe that is the old LSD from your college days talking… I just don’t see it..
  
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- TulsaYeeHaw
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 5:35pm
  There was an ad the other day in “the daily Oklahoman” looking for someone to slay a dragon.
  
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nick e l
Posted on December 6, 2012 at 1:43pm
Personally I am looking forward to the EMP that will rid the nation of the inept progressives who can’t take care of themselves. We conservative on the whole are prepared and able to take care of ourselves. Then we can rebuild the nation as the founding fathers intended.
Semper Fi!

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- 702TruthSeeker
  Posted on December 7, 2012 at 1:06am
  agenda 22… coming soon to that shiny bright spot near you!
  
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inj2020
Posted on December 6, 2012 at 1:04pm
Over populated my ****……spread out idiots, 5 acres at a time! Then instead of being piled on top of each other tellin ourselves how cool we are we would each have a piece to take care of and sayin to each other, “need a hand”?

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- Detroit paperboy
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 1:12pm
  After 50,000 years of civilization in Africa ………… Darkness.
  
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- Pontiaku
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 1:36pm
  How long do you suppose we can thrive off a finite world with our increasing level of consumption and waste?
  
  Report this comment
- crazedbanshee
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 3:55pm
  @Pontiyahoo
  
  As long as our star keeps burning. You say we are “consuming” and “wasting”. You are seriously mistaken, most of the materials we use are just changing forms, some of them we use as is. How often do these “finite” resources get removed from the planet to remove them from the total resources equation? Nature is changing the form of matter at a faster rate then we will ever be able to match, does that mean that the earth is “consuming” and “wasting” itself out of existence? Our challenge is to find the most efficient ways to change the matter into forms we can use, such as regenerative fuel cells. Even so, with our technology we would be able to produce the necessities of life without end. We have the ability to filter water and produce food year round. The only thing that destroy us is if our planets relationship with the sun changed.
  
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- Pontiaku
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 5:19pm
  [@Pontiyahoo]
  Stopped reading right there.
  
  Back to inj2020′s not over populated comment.
  In 1959, there were 12.16 acres of land for every single person on Earth.
  In 2008, there were 5.36 acres of land for every single person on Earth.
  However there is roughly only ONE acre of arable land per person.
  And only artificial fertilizers made from fossil fuels enables such a high population to arable land ratio.
  
  Resources WILL become more strained, lifestyles will plummet, birth rates will plunge.
  You cannot have infinite growth in a finite world. Until there are some amazing breakthroughs in quantum physics, this is a fact.
  
  Report this comment
- UNIX_Techie
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 7:48pm
  According to what I heard about Agenda 21 the big idea is to force everyone into the cities.
  
  Report this comment
Ex_marine_dude_8313
Posted on December 6, 2012 at 12:16pm
Wait a minute, the earth is not flat? Must be a liberal conspiracy. The United Nations is at it again.

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Concernd4USA
Posted on December 6, 2012 at 12:05pm
This is what the Call of duty map looks like showing population playing the game.

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Carol in Indy
Posted on December 6, 2012 at 12:02pm
This pic is awesome,
but… where is everyone in Canada?

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- pap pap
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 1:59pm
  Maybe they’re smart enough to turn there lights off at night. I know I’m not.
  
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FEMALL
Posted on December 6, 2012 at 11:53am
Look at the carbon footprint all the Obama votin’ Blue counties in Florida!

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mikeyyekim
Posted on December 6, 2012 at 10:15am
It’s a great map for me to plan my “bugout route”!

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- keepthefaith
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 11:54am
  And DC is the brightest area of all! Surprised?
  
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deadend
Posted on December 6, 2012 at 9:28am
notice that at 2 minutes in they state the impact of humans on the world. The Marxist environmentalist trash is gearing up to put us in the dark with light pollution (Oh the yellow bellied night wombat can’t reproduce guess you just have to go to bed at dark) It will be more for the hunting down of the opposition in the restricted areas after the world take over.

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- SimpleTruths
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 9:40am
  Go crawl back in your cave.
  
  Report this comment
- PlowMan
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 9:54am
  How can you say that? The statement was merely a comment about how you can see humans are on the earth. There was nothing saying that is was a good or bad thing. Man, don’t read too much into things. There is enough out there that deserves our attention that is plainly Marxist, Socialists stuff. In plain words, keep your powder dry!
  
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americanexile
Posted on December 6, 2012 at 8:58am
Is that a wildfire north of Denver/ northwest of Minneapolis? Wayyy too big to be Williston North Dakota, but looks like the same general location.

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- americanexile
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 9:13am
  Link to the hires photo of the US, you can zoom in on each city: http://eoimages2.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/79000/79800/dnb_united_states_lrg.jpg
  
  Report this comment
- Beak86
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 9:22am
  Have you been to Williston lately? Huge boom with oil industry.
  
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- NavET-SS
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 12:33pm
  Beak is right. If you zoom in you can pick out Bismarck, Dickinson, Williston, and Lake Sakakawea. All the rest of the lights in that area are from the wells and production sites. It is interesting that that area doesn’t even have the most potential oil production in the US. It is the area where the current regime has not been able to shut down oil production, because most of it is on private land. You can see less intense but similar areas in Texas.
  
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RichEG
Posted on December 6, 2012 at 5:54am
Find the darkest spot in the US.

Move there.

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- sparkmaster
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 8:55am
  Africa????
  
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- Carol in Indy
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 12:15pm
  I can only dream!
  
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cows4me
Posted on December 6, 2012 at 3:15am
Amazing pictures. I live in the south pacific and in the grand scheme of things we don’t put out enough light to attract a moth but that doesn’t really matter, the nights with no cloud leave little doubt that God rules the roast.

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- Coyote1953
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 9:21am
  COWS4ME,
  
  I admire your existance and your appreciation for life.
  
  In the grand scheme of things, no individual puts out enough light to be noticed – except of course for some politicians in their own minds.
  
  In my existence, I rely on heritage that has been passed along to me by my parents, grandparents, and family. My heritage is Tslagi usually known as Cherokee.
  
  We are native to the America’s and most of our brothers and sisters from other nations have similar beliefs dealing with our existance, celestial and creation.
  
  I don’t expect many to understand, but a common belief is, we are star children. In whatever form human existance began on earth, we believe something greater than us created it. We look upon the stars for answers.
  
  Most can accept spiritualism from miniscule to magnitude but most can agree to a “spirit”.
  
  If the spirit rises or exists, they must exist “above”. Therefore, the stars can be our creators or our answers.
  
  Images looking up can be more important than images looking down.
  
  Report this comment
- SimpleTruths
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 9:41am
  Is the roast medium rare? That’s how I like it.
  
  Report this comment
- Dom321
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 11:53am
  Simple, Your “handle” reflects your mind.
  
  Report this comment
DadRocked
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 11:43pm
SavvyCowboy – I am no poet and I know it, but you put that so poetically.

I would actually subscribe to that pay-per-view event. Can you picture that?

No injuries/deaths needed just a convoy of Prius’ carrying peaceniks to a Barbara Streisand concert at the Robert Redford’s film festival plowing into the arena.

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- DadRocked
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 12:29am
  Sorry guys… double posted…
  Or as I like to say… The last Perfect Person on earth was crucified.
  
  Report this comment
grayling646
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 11:14pm
I can see my porch light.

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- SquidVetOhio
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 9:16am
  Nice.
  
  Report this comment
TyrannyNoMore
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 10:52pm
I think it is apropos all the muslim countries in Africa are so void of light. After all when you have spent 1400 years trying to subjugate and murder non-believers, there is precious little time for science or advancement of the human condition.

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- Ex_marine_dude_8313
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 12:09pm
  Racism is a nice credo to live by.
  
  Report this comment
TJexcite
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 10:16pm
Of all the composites photos they could use the one with North America globe has Hurricane Sandy in it.

It really shows much of the planets is really empty of people, desert or so poor they have no night lights.

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TROLLMONGER
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 9:14pm
Too bad the greedy uneducated anti-environment right wingers want to destroy this planet.

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- Bookster
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 9:52pm
  Too bad we have such a horrible union run education system that creates people like you with the brainpower of a rabid squirrel. If brains were dynamite you couldn’t muster enough power to blow your own nose.
  
  Liberalism is a mental disorder.
  Progressives are a virus.
  Democrats are Godless.
  MSNBC = Hell’s webcam.
  
  Report this comment
- asybot12
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 9:58pm
  Please every one quit answering this nincompoop. it is a waste of cyber space and as an environmentalist even he should agree to that!
  
  Report this comment
- SavvyCowboy
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 10:16pm
  @Bookster – I don’t care for your mocking of rabid squirrels. This idiot is more akin to rabid squirrel feces. Hopefully he is run over by a Prius carrying 3 peaceniks to a Barbara Streisand concert.
  
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- DadRocked
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 11:36pm
  “Too bad the greedy uneducated anti-environment right wingers want to destroy this planet.”
  
  TOO bad the generous educated, enviromentalist left wingers want to destroy the continuing advancement of civilization…
  
  Report this comment
- DadRocked
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 12:28am
  SavvyCowboy – I am no poet and I know it, but you put that so poetically.
  I would actually subscribe to that pay-per-view event. Can you picture that?
  
  No injuries/deaths needed just a convoy of Prius’ carrying peaceniks to a Barbara Streisand concert at the Robert Redford’s film festival plowing into the arena.
  
  Report this comment
- SREGN
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 11:09am
  Don’t worry troll, after another four years of your false messiah, America will be just as dark as north korea. You’ll be dead by then of course, because the first thing all despots do is purge the ones who helped them rise to power. AMF.
  
  Report this comment
- RonAles
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 12:25pm
  Lol
  
  Report this comment
- NavET-SS
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 12:39pm
  Well put Bookster. Your education shows, and it probably didn’t come from the babysitters in today’s schools.
  
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ChiefGeorge
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 9:07pm
It is of course fascinating on one hand, but give it a few more years under this president and watch those lights grew dimmer….think I’m kidding? This is what they want! Regression and submission!

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- Stelex
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 9:13pm
  Agree………also a population of 500,000,000. For the good of the world. There new God.
  
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RJJinGadsden
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 8:52pm
Thought that The Black Marble was a Joseph Wambaugh novel. Then a movie.

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ezalbeht666
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 8:47pm
The “Earth”at night? really Blaze editors.. really? Here’s a clue it’s 6:45pm in San Francisco but in Thailand it’s 8:45am. AKA day time.

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- danbarlinmar
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 8:58pm
  you know what it means. you can see what each part of the earth looks like at night. dont be dumb.
  
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- banjarmon
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 8:59pm
  ezalbeht666
  You must be one of those people that believe you can travel to the sun at night because it is dark!!!
  
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- asybot12
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 9:59pm
  @banjar now that one left me on the floor
  
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Buchanan16
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 8:46pm
This is too cool!

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Stelex
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 8:44pm
Key words…..”The impact of human life on the world”……..Man bad, world good. If we could just do away with that pesky “human race” less the UN and other academics. The world would be perfect.

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nacilbuper
Posted on December 5, 2012 at 8:37pm
Here in Richmond I can’t see the Moon. This is a little weird. Anybody else missing the Moon where you are?

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- nacilbuper
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 8:42pm
  Oh, not a cloud in the sky!
  
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- XaviorOnassis
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 8:43pm
  The moon is not always visible in the night sky. It is not in perfect synch with rotation so sometimes it is visible during the day and sometimes not. Right now moonrise for Dec 5 is 11:40something. Tomorrow it will be different. You can always google moonrise and get info on when it rises and sets and what the phase.
  
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- Stelex
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 8:46pm
  My moon is in my draws.
  
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- asybot12
  Posted on December 5, 2012 at 10:06pm
  @ Xavio, please do not stress the left wing (un)educated to much, OK remember now the Moon is always there day in and day out (sarcasm) , it is the reflection of the sun light that makes it show to all the “unenlightened” once every once in a moon.
  
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- XaviorOnassis
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 12:48am
  Assybot12 What??? Please consult a grammar text and try again. That was incomprehensible gibberish.
  
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- Gigi42
  Posted on December 6, 2012 at 1:19am
  @stelex: THAT is funny! I’m convulsing with silent laughter, trying not to wake my sleeping husband X-D
  
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