Earth's City Lights by DMSP, 1994-1995 (large).jpg
Data: Marc Imhoff/NASA GSFC, Christopher Elvidge/NOAA NGDC; Image: Craig Mayhew and Robert Simmon/NASA GSFC
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Earth's City Lights by DMSP, 1994 1995 (large), This image of Earth’s city lights was created with data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS). Originally designed to view clouds by moonlight, the OLS is also used to map the locations of permanent lights on the Earth’s surface.

The brightest areas of the Earth are the most urbanized, but not necessarily the most populated. (Compare western Europe with China and India.) Cities tend to grow along coastlines and transportation networks. Even without the underlying map, the outlines of many continents would still be visible. The United States interstate highway system appears as a lattice connecting the brighter dots of city centers. In Russia, the Trans-Siberian railroad is a thin line stretching from Moscow through the center of Asia to Vladivostok. The Nile River, from the Aswan Dam to the Mediterranean Sea, is another bright thread through an otherwise dark region.

Even more than 100 years after the invention of the electric light, some regions remain thinly populated and unlit. Antarctica is entirely dark. The interior jungles of Africa and South America are mostly dark, but lights are beginning to appear there. Deserts in Africa, Arabia, Australia, Mongolia, and the United States are poorly lit as well (except along the coast), along with the boreal forests of Canada and Russia, and the great mountains of the Himalaya., Lights from cities and infrastructure on Earth at night from space, Light pollution comes from highly populated areas at night, caused by human activity (electric lights)
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Earth's City Lights by DMSP, 1994 1995 (large), Technosignatures, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, Satellite pictures, Earth at night seen from space, 360° panoramas
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上空から撮影した世界の夜景。DMSPの観測により、都市圏など、人口が集中していて経済活動が盛んなところが一目でわかる。, 夜の地球(1994.10.1 - 1995.03.31), 夜の地球の複合したイメージ（DMSPのデータよりNASAとNOAAが作成）。地球の最も明るい場所は、人口が最も密集しているが、必ずしも人が多いとは限らない。電灯が発明されて100年以上経過したにもかかわらず、若干の地域は人口が低いままだ。, 夜の姿, 人類の活動領域を示す、全地球の夜景
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Night view of the world taken from above.DMSP observations show that the population of the urban area and other areas are concentrated and active in economic activities., Night Earth , combined image of the night Earth .The brightest parts of the earth are denser but not necessarily more populated.Even though electric lights have been invented for over a century, some areas have remained low in population., Night view, all-Earth night view showing the area of human activity
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DMSPによる地球の都市ライト 1994年(1995年)。この地球の都市ライトの画像は、国防気象衛星プログラムのデータで作成されました。元々は月光で雲を見ることができるように設計されており、地球表面に常時光が当たっている場所をマッピングするためにも使用されている。地球上で最も明るい地域は最も都市化されているが、必ずしも最も人口の多い地域ではない。(西ヨーロッパと中国・インドを合わせる。)都市は海岸線や交通網に沿って成長する傾向がある。地図がなくても、多くの大陸の輪郭がまだ見えている。米国の州間高速道路システムは、より明るい点である都市中心部を結ぶ格子として表示される。ロシアではシベリア鉄道がモスクワからアジアの中心を通ってウラジオストクまで伸びる細い路線である。ナイル川は、アスワンダムから地中海にかけての川で、他の暗い地域を流れるもう一つの明るい糸である。電気の発明から100年以上経っても、一部の地域では薄手で光りが付いていない。南極は真っ暗だ。アフリカと南アメリカのジャングルは、ほとんどが暗いが、そこには明かりが見え始めている。アフリカ、アラビア、オーストラリア、モンゴル、米国の砂漠も、カナダとロシアの枯山水の森林、ヒマラヤの大山とともに、火の点火が不十分である。夜、宇宙から地球上の都市やインフラからの光、夜間の光汚染は、人間の活動によって引き起こされた人口の多い地域から来ている。
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DMSPによる地球の街灯、1994年。1995年。
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