Watching our wonderful planet Earth from afar never looked this good. Behold! You are looking at an unprecedented new look at our planet at night. The scientists at NASA recently published these beautiful cloud-free night images of Earth taken from the new NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite. The images, which forms a composite image, reveals the glow of natural and human-built phenomena across our planet in deeper detail. NASA’s NOAA satellite utilizes a new sensor that can observe the Earth’s surface and atmosphere during nighttime, something that was not possible before.
Most satellites are designed to observe Earth during the day – a time when they can observe our planet fully illuminated by the sun. NASA says that its new sensor, a Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite or (VIIRS), is sensitive enough to detect the nocturnal glow produced by Earth’s atmosphere and the light from a single ship in the sea. Judging from the images in the gallery, you will observe that they were taken gradually over the course of the year. You’ll even see a night image of a gas drilling activity in North Dakota as well as the illuminating waters of the great Nile river. Click on the images in the gallery to enjoy these one-of-a-kind photos of our beloved planet Earth. Cheers!
