July 28, 1999
You are a way for the cosmos to know itself, Carl Sagan once said. On your birthday, the cosmos got to know itself a little better.
Asia at Night
Birthday · July 28, 1999
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
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APOD published July 28, 1999. Credit: DMSP Digital Archive, NGDC, NOAA. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
This is what Asia looks like at night! Can you find your favorite Asian city? Although not all of Asia is shown, city lights might make this task possible. The above picture is actually a composite of over 200 images made by satellites orbiting the Earth. Scans were made by the USAF Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System. The DMSP satellites continue to help in the understanding and prediction of weather phenomena as well as provide key information about population patterns, city light levels, and even rural forest fires.
Image credit: DMSP Digital Archive, NGDC, NOAA