The glow of sunny Spain at NIGHT: ISS captures country as a mass of lights in amazing images of the Earth after dark



Image shows Iberian coastline heavily populated with Valencia and Barcelona visible at bottom right of the photo

Mass of light in the middle is Madrid and Portugal is shown to the west with lights on coastline from Lisbon to Porto

Taken from the ISS, the image shows Earth’s atmosphere as a green shroud that surrounds and protects the planet

Previous images of the Earth by night have revealed the staggering extent that North Koreans are kept in the dark




Solar storms and distant stars are just some of the wonders seen by astronauts on the International Space Station.

But when living so far from home, it’s the poignant marks of humanity revealed in space that really capture their attention.

And from their 200-mile-high perch on the space station, far more detail about life on Earth can be seen that you might expect.

This image from the International Space Station shows the Iberian Peninsula including Spain and Portugal at night. The lights from human settlements reveal where the major towns and activity are. The large mass of light in the middle is Madrid, Spain's capital city. The Iberian coastline is heavily populated with Valencia and Barcelona along the Mediterranean Sea prominent at the bottom right of this photo. The white light in the top left of the photo is a reflection of the camera flash

In this recent image from the International Space Station (ISS), the Iberian Peninsula showing Spain and Portugal can be clearly seen.

The lights from human settlements reveal the major towns. The large mass of light in the middle is Madrid, Spain’s capital city.

It shows how the Iberian coastline is heavily populated with Valencia and Barcelona along the Mediterranean Sea prominent at the bottom right of this photo.

Portugal, to the west, shows similar lighting with the coast from Lisbon to Porto a haze of light.

Portugal, to the west, shows similar lighting with the coast from Lisbon to Porto a haze of light. The green line shows Earth's atmosphere which protects the planet

Here, the capital city of Portugal, Lisbon, is shown with south at the top of the image. The brightest area is the city centre. The two bridges connecting the capital to the south - Ponte Vasco da Gama and Ponte 25 de Abril - show up as two straight lines crossing the black Rio Tejo. The peninsular city of Peniche shows up as a blob of light protruding into the Atlantic Ocean at the bottom of the picture The city lights of Spain and Portugal define the Iberian Peninsula in this photograph from the International Space Station (ISS). Several large metropolitan areas are visible, marked by their relatively large and brightly lit areas, including the capital cities of Madrid, Spain - located near the centre of the peninsula. The astronaut view is looking toward the east

THE IBERIAN PENINSULA

The Iberian Peninsula is in southwestern Europe and occupied by Spain and Portugal.

Its name derives from its ancient inhabitants whom the Greeks called Iberians. The Atlantic Ocean hits the western and northern coasts, and the Mediterranean Sea the eastern. Cape da Roca, in Portugal, is the most westerly point of continental Europe. The Pyrenees form an effective land barrier in the northeast from the rest of Europe, and in the south at Gibraltar the peninsula is separated from North Africa by a narrow strait.

This astronaut-image reveals how close the Iberian Peninsula is to Morocco. A thin line of blackness – the Strait of Gibraltar – separates the two.

Another thin line stands out in this picture. It shows Earth’s atmosphere as a green shroud that surrounds and protects our planet.

In another image from the ISS, the capital city of Portugal is shown with its south end facing the top of the picture.

The brightest area is the city centre. The two bridges connecting the capital to the south – Ponte Vasco da Gama and Ponte 25 de Abril – show up as two straight lines crossing the black Rio Tejo.

The peninsular city of Peniche shows up as a haze of light protruding into the Atlantic Ocean at the bottom of the picture.

This image was taken using Esa’s Nightpod camera aid that compensates for the motion of the International Space Station. The target stays firmly centred in frame so the final image is in focus.

Astronauts can set up the device to take ultra-sharp images automatically using off-the-shelf cameras from 400 km up.

Perhaps one of the most striking recent images from the ISS shows how North Koreans really are kept in the dark.

North Korea appears like a black hole in a sea of light in this remarkable Nasa satellite image of the isolated communist state.

The image, taken from the International Space Station earlier this year, shows North Korea as a swathe of dark ground between China in the north and South Korea

The bright sun greets the International Space Station in this November 22 scene from the Russian section of the orbital outpost, photographed by one of the astronauts

Taken at night on January 30 from the International Space Station (ISS) this picture shows North Korea almost completely devoid of lights.

In stark contrast to the south of the image South Korea is shown bathed in light as is China to the north both clearly visible bustling with energy.

North Korea - which is ruled by supreme leader Kim Jong-un - is almost completely black appearing to show a distinct lack of power or energy supply.

The only exception is the country's capital Pyongyang to the south east of the nation which is illuminated by city lights.

However the rest of the country - which has a population of 24 million - is pitch black looking almost like a sea between South Korea and China.

Other images of the planet by night have recently been released in ‘Gravity: Nasa’s real-life images from space’ series uses photos taken over the last several years.

The collection was put together to celebrate the success of the 2013 film ‘Gravity’ which swept the board at the 86th Academy Awards with seven Oscars.

This unique photographic angle, featuring the International Space Station's Cupola and crew activity inside it, other hardware belonging to the station, city lights on Earth and airglow was captured by one of the Expedition 28 crew members. The major urban area on the coast is Brisbane, Australia. The station was passing over an area southwest of Canberra