NASA Shares Stunning View Of Earth's Night Lights As Seen From Space

NASA has shared a new set of images, which show Earth at night as seen from above, with city lights, coastlines, and natural features glowing against the dark planet. The stunning photos reveal how human settlements light up the surface.

On one side, bright clusters mark major cities; meanwhile, thinner lines trace highways and borders. On the other hand, darker areas show oceans, deserts and forests where little artificial light reaches.

These particular images were captured by astronauts when the International Space Station (ISS) passed over the Gulf of Thailand.

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"It's always nighttime somewhere," NASA wrote on Instagram. "Pause your scrolling to enjoy some night sky views of Earth from above. These photos were snapped by our astronauts aboard the @ISS as they passed over the Gulf of Thailand."

"The dots of blue and green are the lights of squid-fishing boats. The lights attract plankton and small fish, which lure squid toward the nets," NASA explained.

See the images here:

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From space, the contrast between lit and unlit regions makes continents and country outlines clearly visible.

Astronauts often describe night passes over Earth as one of the most striking sights from the ISS.

The images highlight not just population centres, but also how energy use and development vary across the globe.

"Beautiful reminder that the universe is bigger than our daily problems," one user wrote in the comment section.

"Nasa, you are my dream. I hope I will work with you," said one user.

"Even at night, our home is beautiful," another user stated. "Love the contrast here," one user added.