00:28
Earth’s night side spins into view as city lights outline the continents
An animation built from satellite data gathers the planet’s artificial lights into a single turning globe.
Built from satellite data, the animation shows the night side of Earth turning slowly against the blackness of space, with continents outlined by bright clusters of city lights.
Europe and Africa give way to the Americas; lights gather along coastlines and major river valleys while the oceans remain almost completely dark.
Night-light maps give researchers data on everything from population distribution to energy use.
Today’s top stories
