NASA releases earth images at night

A NASA Earth Observatory image released Dec 5, 2012 shows South Asia during Diwali celebrations on the night of Nov 12, 2012. The image was acquired by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP satellite. The image is based on data collected by the VIIRS "day-night band," which detects light in a range of wavelengths from green to near-infrared and uses filtering techniques to observe signals such as gas flares, auroras, wildfires, city lights, and reflected moonlight. The image has been brightened to make the city lights easier to distinguish. Most of the bright areas are cities and towns in India. Cities in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan are also visible near the edges of the image. [Photo/Agencies]