Cool space picture.

[TerryinMD]

This was passed along to us here at work.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0011/earthlights_dmsp_big.jpg>Earthlights</A>

he image is a panoramic view of the world from the new space station.
It is a night photo with the lights clearly indicating the populated areas.
You can scroll East-West and North-South.

Note that Canada's population is almost exclusively along the U.S. border.

Moving east to Europe, there is a high population concentration along the
Mediterranean Coast. It's easy to spot London, Paris, Stockholm and Vienna.

Check out the development of Israel compared to the rest of the Arab
countries. Note the Nile River and the rest of the "Dark Continent". After
the Nile, the lights don't come on again until Johannesburg.

Look at the Australian Outback and the Trans-Siberian Rail Route.

Moving east, the most striking observation is the difference between North
and South Korea. Note the density of Japan.

What a piece of photography. It is an absolutely awesome picture of the
Earth taken from the Boeing built Space Station in November, 2000 on a
perfect night with no obscuring atmospheric conditions.

Enjoy...

<font color=red> fixed.... somehow http:// appeared twice - go figure.</font color=red>


Terry

 

[Gatorboy]

Terry,

The link you supplied was just http:///

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Terry...

You got me in suspense... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I'm waiting for the valid "strongest" link... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Muhammad]

Here's the photo... I think. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Devildog]

Wow, thats interesting. I wonder how much heat all that light puts off? Sure is alot of light in the USA.

 

[TerryinMD]

Yes, that is the picture...

However, the URL that I somehow hosed up is really neat. I will fix my error. /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif Stupid, fat fingering, silly PC.... grumble, grumble.... /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif/w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif

Terry

 

[Anonymous Poster]

It appears life is almost non-existent in Africa and Australia... or lots of barren land...? /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

 

[Scott_F]

I've seen this picture before and always found it interesting to look at, but I'd like to know who wrote the original description that Terry posted. I've seen that description before too, and I have just one liiiiittle problem with it (the description, that is). If it really was taken on "a perfect night with no obscuring atmospheric conditions" - how'd they get it to be night all over the world at the same time?

I'm no rocket scientist, but my guess is it's a mosaic of satelite images taken from something in an orbit much higher than the Space Station. Any remote sensing types on TBN? All that aside, it really IS a cool picture.

-S

 

[MDNick]

It could have been taken from the SS. However, there is no way in he!! that was taken in one night. I have seen it before and I believe you are correct in that it was a mosaic.

It is just not possible that the world was clear for good observation all at once, that elminates it via meterological rules. Now for the physics rules. A satellite (or space station) passes over head on a predetermined Newtonian (/w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif) physics ruled path. Kinda of like many swipes. As it goes around it advances (or retards depending on altitude if out beyone 20 some odd thousand miles) just a little bit across the globe. Taking many observations, the pics could easily be assembled into the mosaic. Would be more difficult with more definition, but putting together dark with lights is digitally pretty simple. From one place, even way the heck up, you would not be able to see both hemispheres, so it was obviously making multiple paths.

And while I won't claim to be a rocket scientist I am an engineering physicist by training and assemble rocket motors for a living.

 

[njrqs]

<font color=blue> It appears life is almost non-existent in Africa and Australia... </font color=blue>


There's life John, but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it. (Sung to the tune of a Star Trek send up song)

Yes it's basically only me over here and <font color=blue> lots of barren land </font color=blue>