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 ****** 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>

 

[MDNick]

Sure glad I don't pay the light bill in Chicago, Detroit, NYC, and Boston. Wow

Neil, I am liking Oz even more. It is even darker there than in Alaska. The last I knew the stats there it was .5 persons/square mile. Any idea what Oz's population density is?

Nick

 

[njrqs]

Nick

I dunno about the density, although I do hear we aint too bright /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

No, we have now 20,000,000 so if someone finds out the land area, we can work it out quickly.

Hang on, just found a website. In 1994 it was 2.3 people per square kilometre. Which makes that nearly 6 people per square mile.

The website says this interesting comment :

<font color=blue>Australia is a large country with a small population. In 1994 we had a population density of 2.3 people per square kilometre; by comparison, the figure for Japan was 331 people per square kilometre, for the United Kingdom 238 and for France 106. Of the world’s developed countries, only Canada (2.9) and Iceland (2.6) have comparable population densities (Box 1).</font color=blue>

Doesn't list the US - Bummer


They tell me the best place in the world to view the stars at night is the Australian Outback, and from experience they can't be far wrong. It is truly magic /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

Cheers

 

[MDNick]

Neil,

As gleaned from 2 sites, one for population and one for area, the US population density (2001 numbers) is 28.9/km^2 or 74.8/mi^2.

Noteably higher than Oz.

Nick

 

[Hillbilly]

I loaded the picture as a desk top.

 

[Hillbilly]

I honestly think I can see the lights on Bob Trevithicks John Deere up there in the Northeast,and after all this time I thought it was the Northern Lights.
Bob are you there?/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[TerryinMD]

Scott F,

I received the text from a co-worker. I would image that it has been stripped from some website or another email. So original source is lost to the ether....

Hillbilly,

There have been other posts with tractors with lots of lights.... hmmm, I think most of them are on the East Coast as a matter of fact. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Terry

 

[MikePA]

<font color=blue>I think most of them are on the East Coast as a matter of fact.</font color=blue>

That just means everyone else is in the dark! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

WOW! Great picture, It makes me realize how great the USA is. If there are aliens out there they don't want to talk to us, because we sure are'nt hiding.

 

[Hillbilly]

I was not picking on Bob /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif,heck,the same thing could be set for mine.Look real close in WVa./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[njrqs]

Gee Nick

I think I'll stay here in that case !

Cheers