Light is thought of as a source of energy, of illumination. In movies, lights are a boon of civilization and a beacon of hope after a long journey in the uncertain darkness.
And from space, they're little reminders of life on Earth.
We have none other than NASA to thank for this image, as astronauts aboard the International Space Station took this photograph.
Clearly, the brightest patch of light stems from the Miami metropolitan area as it stretches north to connect with Fort Lauderdale. It's the largest urban area in the southeastern stretch of the country, and home to 5.6 million people. After that, Tampa Bay and Orlando take the second and third most populated spots.
According to NASA, this is photograph ISS041-E-74232, taken by the Expedition 41 crew with a Nikon D3S digital camera using a 24 millimeter lens, has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast. Lens artifacts have been removed. It is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center.
· Full size image from NASA [NASA]
· Past coverage of NASA shots [Miami Curbed]
