Earth at Night = Sauron’s Lair?
A couple years ago, Jaymi posted some timelapse videos taken from the International Space Station (ISS). In one of them, you could briefly see an aurora borealis, and some city lights down below. It was very beautiful, but since it was a timelapse with few frames, a bit choppy.
NASA/Public Domain
I just found another similar video, and it took my breath away (well, not literally, I did not have an asthma attack or anything, but it was quite hypnotic). It is also taken from the ISS, but this time the framerate is better and the exposure is such that we clearly see cities and thunderstorms below. Who knew our planet at night looks like the land of Sauron in Lord of the Rings?
Please watch it in high-resolution and full-screen!
NASA/Public Domain
The video is not new, it was released last fall by NASA, but I don’t think that matters; these images of our pale blue dot at night are timeless.
See also: Japan’s Moonshot? $21 Billion Invested in Space-Based Solar Power