You may have heard that NASA has created a cloud free and incredibly detailed 360-degree view of the Earth at night by creating a composite of two months of imagery taken by the new Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) satellite. This satellite can discern not just city lights but also light from industrial sites, fires, gas flares and boats at sea!
A two minute video showing the Earth at night provides a narrated tour of some highlights of the new imagery.
Visit the NASA website for the following resources:
- Read an Earth Observatory feature about the study of nighttime lights.
- Read a NASA press release about the new capability.
- Download hemisphere views and animations.
- Download the flat global map.
- Interactively browse the city lights map at full resolution.
- Download video of the Suomi NPP satellite.
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From NPR
http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/01/16/169511949/a-mysterious-patch-of-light-shows-up-in-the-north-dakota-dark?ft=3&f=111787346&sc=nl&cc=es-20130120