{ "id": 30886, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30886/", "page_type": "Hyperwall Visual", "title": "Black Marble 2012 vs. 2016", "description": "Black Marble comparing 2012 lights vs. 2016 lights || black_marble_swipe_1080p.00001_print.jpg (1024x576) [58.2 KB] || black_marble_swipe_1080p.00001_searchweb.png (320x180) [34.2 KB] || black_marble_swipe_1080p.00001_thm.png (80x40) [3.6 KB] || black_marble_swipe_1080p.mp4 (1920x1080) [3.5 MB] || black_marble_swipe_720p.mp4 (1280x720) [2.0 MB] || black_marble_swipe_1080p.webm (1920x1080) [7.8 MB] || black_marble_swipe_2304p.mp4 (4096x2304) [11.1 MB] || 4104x2304_16x9_30p (4104x2304) [0 Item(s)] || ", "release_date": "2017-06-28T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-02-02T00:37:07.185676-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 413327, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a030000/a030800/a030886/black_marble_swipe_1080p.00001_print.jpg", "filename": "black_marble_swipe_1080p.00001_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Black Marble comparing 2012 lights vs. 2016 lights", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 }, "main_video": null, "main_credits": { "Visualizations by": [ { "name": "Amy Moran", "employer": "Global Science and Technology, Inc." } ], "Scientific consulting by": [ { "name": "Miguel Román", "employer": "NASA/GSFC" } ] }, "progress": "Complete", "media_groups": [ { "id": 330064, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30886/#media_group_330064", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Black Marble comparing 2012 lights vs. 2016 lights

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These images of Earth at night in 2012 and 2016 were created with data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite launched in October 2011 by NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Department of Defense. Each pixel shows roughly 0.46 miles (742 meters) across.

Scientists use the Suomi NPP night-lights dataset in many ways. Some applications include: forecasting a city’s energy use and carbon emissions; eradicating energy poverty and fostering sustainable energy development; providing immediate information when disasters strike; and monitoring the effects of conflict and population displacement. Scientists at NASA are working to automate nighttime VIIRS data processing so that data users are able to view nighttime imagery within hours of acquisition, which could lead to other potential uses by research, meteorological, and civic groups.", "items": [], "extra_data": {} } ], "studio": "hw", "funding_sources": [ "SMD" ], "credits": [ { "role": "Animator", "people": [ { "name": "Amy Moran", "employer": "Global Science and Technology, Inc." } ] }, { "role": "Scientist", "people": [ { "name": "Miguel Román", "employer": "NASA/GSFC" } ] } ], "missions": [], "series": [], "tapes": [], "papers": [], "datasets": [ { "name": "", "common_name": "VIIRS", "platform": "Suomi NPP", "sensor": "VIIRS", "type": "Other", "organizations": [], "description": "", "credit": "", "url": "", "date_range": "2012, 2016" } ], "nasa_science_categories": [ "Earth" ], "keywords": [ "Earth Science", "HDTV", "Human Dimensions", "Hyperwall", "Night", "Night lights", "population", "Population Estimates", "Suomi", "VIIRS", "World Map" ], "recommended_pages": [], "related": [ { "id": 5275, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5275/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Untitled", "description": "No description available.", "release_date": "2024-05-20T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-01-06T01:13:08.893712-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 1, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/no_preview_web_black.png", "filename": "no_preview_web_black.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Current Airborne Fleet", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 31099, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/31099/", "page_type": "Hyperwall Visual", "title": "A Changing Earth at Night (Regions)", "description": "NASA’s Black Marble products are also being used by scientists and decision-makers to monitor gradual changes driven by urbanization, out-migration, economic changes, and electrification. These images show the rapid electrification of India’s rural settlements in recent years. Huge swaths of northern India, relatively dark in 2012 night shots, are lit up in NASA’s Black Marble imagery from 2016. || NightLights.010_print.jpg (1024x576) [175.5 KB] || NightLights.010.png (5760x3240) [20.0 MB] || NightLights.010_searchweb.png (320x180) [101.2 KB] || NightLights.010_thm.png (80x40) [6.8 KB] || ", "release_date": "2020-02-05T00:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2024-10-20T00:38:00.976723-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 387605, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a030000/a031000/a031099/NightLights.010_print.jpg", "filename": "NightLights.010_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "NASA’s Black Marble products are also being used by scientists and decision-makers to monitor gradual changes driven by urbanization, out-migration, economic changes, and electrification. These images show the rapid electrification of India’s rural settlements in recent years. Huge swaths of northern India, relatively dark in 2012 night shots, are lit up in NASA’s Black Marble imagery from 2016.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 30919, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30919/", "page_type": "Hyperwall Visual", "title": "A Changing Earth at Night", "description": "Changes in lights from 2012 to 2016 || BlackMarble20162012diff500m_cb_print.jpg (1024x574) [96.1 KB] || BlackMarble20162012diff500m_cb_searchweb.png (180x320) [32.4 KB] || BlackMarble20162012diff500m_cb_thm.png (80x40) [4.4 KB] || BlackMarble20162012diff500m_cb.tif (4104x2304) [3.6 MB] || BlackMarble20162012diff500m.tif (4104x2052) [3.5 MB] || BlackMarble20162012diff500m_huge.tif (86400x43200) [868.6 MB] || a-changing-earth-at-night.hwshow [223 bytes] || ", "release_date": "2017-12-06T00:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2025-02-03T00:48:27.297524-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 409185, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a030000/a030900/a030919/BlackMarble20162012diff500m_cb_print.jpg", "filename": "BlackMarble20162012diff500m_cb_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Changes in lights from 2012 to 2016", "width": 1024, "height": 574, "pixels": 587776 } }, { "id": 30876, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30876/", "page_type": "Hyperwall Visual", "title": "Black Marble 2016", "description": "An composite image shows a cloud-free view of Earth || BlackMarble_2016_global_7km_print.jpg (1024x576) [62.9 KB] || BlackMarble_2016_global_7km.png (5760x3240) [6.3 MB] || BlackMarble_2016_global_7km_searchweb.png (180x320) [34.9 KB] || BlackMarble_2016_global_7km_thm.png (80x40) [3.7 KB] || BlackMarble_2016_global_7km.hwshow [222 bytes] || ", "release_date": "2017-04-25T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-02-02T00:36:56.118879-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 414842, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a030000/a030800/a030876/BlackMarble_2016_global_7km_print.jpg", "filename": "BlackMarble_2016_global_7km_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "An composite image shows a cloud-free view of Earth", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 30877, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30877/", "page_type": "Hyperwall Visual", "title": "Black Marble 2016 (Regions)", "description": "Satellite images of Earth at night—often referred to as \"night lights\"—have been a gee-whiz curiosity for the public and a tool for fundamental research for nearly 25 years. They have provided a broad, beautiful picture, showing how humans have shaped the planet and lit up the darkness. 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The data was acquired over nine days in April 2012 and thirteen days in October 2012. It took the satellite 312 orbits and 2.5 terabytes of data to get a clear shot of every parcel of Earth's land surface and islands. This new data was then mapped over existing MODIS Blue Marble imagery to provide a realistic view of the planet.The view was made possible by the \"day-night band\" of Suomi NPP's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite. VIIRS detects light in a range of wavelengths from green to near-infrared and uses \"smart\" light sensors to observe dim signals such as city lights, auroras, wildfires, and reflected moonlight. This low-light sensor can distinguish night lights tens to hundreds of times better than previous satellites. || ", "release_date": "2013-04-05T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-02-02T00:24:29.642234-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 428129, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a030000/a030000/a030028/earthatnight2012_web_searchweb.jpg", "filename": "earthatnight2012_web_searchweb.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Flat map of the whole Earth", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } } ], "sources": [], "products": [], "newer_versions": [], "older_versions": [], "alternate_versions": [] }