This new, cloud-free view of Earth at night is a composite of data acquired over nine days in April and 13 days in October, 2012. The joint NASA-NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership Satellite (Suomi NPP) needed 312 orbits and 2.5 terabytes of data to get clear shots of every parcel of land surface. This new data was then mapped over existing Blue Marble imagery of Earth to provide a realistic view. The result is beautiful, and meaningful, as the video below explains.
Video Credits: NASA’s Earth Observatory with data processed by NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center and combined with a version of the Earth Observatory’s Blue Marble: Next Generation.
Bottom line: Suomi NPP was used to create this new cloud-free view of Earth at night.
Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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