NASA-NOAA Satellite Reveals New Views of Earth at Night

[DallasCowpoke]

NASA - NOAA Link
Article Link
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2012
Scientists unveiled today an unprecedented new look at our planet at night. A global composite image, constructed using cloud-free night images from a new NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite, shows the glow of natural and human-built phenomena across the planet in greater detail than ever before.

Many satellites are equipped to look at Earth during the day, when they can observe our planet fully illuminated by the sun. With a new sensor onboard the NASA-NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite launched last year, scientists now can observe Earth's atmosphere and surface during nighttime hours.

The new sensor, the day-night band of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), is sensitive enough to detect the nocturnal glow produced by Earth's atmosphere and the light from a single ship in the sea. Satellites in the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program have been making observations with low-light sensors for 40 years. But the VIIRS day-night band can better detect and resolve Earth's night lights.

[SaltwaterServr]

I'm wondering if that swatch of light south of San Antonio that goes from the border to the east is because of all the drilling rigs on the Eagle-Ford.

[DallasCowpoke]

Originally Posted by SaltwaterServr

I'm wondering if that swatch of light south of San Antonio that goes from the border to the east is because of all the drilling rigs on the Eagle-Ford.

Interesting, could be. Did you read the line about how some of what appears to be "lights" in highly uninhabited areas of Australia are actually wildfires?