Collection: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio Collection Title: Earth at Night 2001 Instrument: DMSP/OLS Description: Human-made lights highlight particularly developed or populated areas of the Earths surface, including the seaboards of Europe, the eastern United States, and Japan. Abstract: This is what the Earth looks like at night. Can you find your favorite country or city? Surprisingly, city lights make this task quite possible. Human-made lights highlight particularly developed or populated areas of the Earth's surface, including the seaboards of Europe, the eastern United States, and Japan. Many large cities are located near rivers or oceans so that they can exchange goods cheaply by boat. Particularly dark areas include the central parts of South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The above image is actually a composite of hundreds of pictures made by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) currently operates four satellites carrying the Operational Linescan System (OLS) in low-altitude polar orbits. Three of these satellites record nighttime data. The DMSP-OLS has a unique capability to detect low levels of visible-near infrared (VNIR) radiance at night. With the OLS 'VIS' band data it is possible to detect clouds illuminated by moonlight, plus lights from cities, towns, industrial sites, gas flares, and ephemeral events such as fires and lightning-illuminate d clouds. The Nighttime Lights of the World data set is compiled from the October 1994 - March 1995 DMSP nighttime data collected when moonlight was low. Using the OLS thermal infrared band, areas containing clouds were removed and the remaining area used in the time series. This animation is derived from an image created by Craig Mayhew and Robert Simmon from data provided by Christopher Elvidge of the NOAA National Geophysical Data Center. Completed: 2001-10-19 Credit: *Please give credit for this visualization to* NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio Studio: SVS Animator: Stuart A. Snodgrass (Lead) Animator: Robert Simmon Animator: Craig Mayhew Scientist: Christopher Elvidge (NOAA/NGDC) Scientist: Marc Imhoff (NASA/GSFC) Note: More Information on this topic available at visibleearth.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/viewrecord?5826 Video: SVS2001-0023* * * Animation Number: 2276 UID: SPD-SCIVS-http://svs .gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a 000000/a002200/a0022 76/nightearth-IMAGE Original url: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a002200/a002276/index.html SOURCE: nasaimages.org/luna/servlet/detail/NSVS~3~3~11389~111389 Visit www.nasaimages.org for the most comprehensive compilation of NASA stills, film and video, created in partnership with Internet Archive.