Earth at Night: Our Planet in Brilliant Darkness

: Dazzling photographs and images from space of our planet's nightlights have captivated public attention for decades. In such images, patterns are immediately seen based on the presence or absence of light: a distinct coastline, bodies of water recognizable by their dark silhouettes, and the faint tendrils of roads and highways emanating from the brilliant blobs of light that are our modern, well-lit cities. These lights and the darkness tell stories about our planet. Earth at Night shows how humans and natural phenomena light up the darkness, and how and why scientists have observed Earth's nightlights for more than four decades using both their own eyes and spaceborne instruments.