June 17, 1996
Every birthday is a reminder that you are made of the same material as the stars overhead — carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, all cooked in stellar...
The United States at Night
Birthday · June 17, 1996
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
Ready to give.
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APOD published June 17, 1996. Credit: NOAA/ NGDC DMSP Digital Archive. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
This is what the United States of America looks like at night! Can you find your favorite US city on this image? Surprisingly, city lights make this task quite 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: NOAA/ NGDC DMSP Digital Archive