City Lights, France-Italy Border (NASA, International Space Station Science, 04/28/10)

City lights at night along the France-Italy border, Europe are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 23 crew member on the International Space Station (ISS). The brightly lit metropolitan areas of Torino (Italy), Lyon, and Marseille (both in France) stand out amidst numerous smaller urban areas in this dramatic photograph. The image captures the night time appearance of the France-Italy border area between the mountainous Alps to the north (not shown) and the island of Corsica in the Ligurian Sea to the south (top). The full moon reflects brightly on the water surface and also illuminates the tops of low patchy clouds over the border (center). This image was taken by an ISS crew member at approximately 11:55 p.m. local time when the station was located over the France-Belgium border near Luxembourg. Crew members orbiting Earth frequently collect images that include sunglint, or sunlight that reflects off a water surface at such an angle that it travels directly back towards the observer. Sunglint typically lends a mirror-like appearance to the water surface. During clear sky conditions reflected light from the moon can produce the same effect (moon glint) as illustrated in this view. The observer was looking towards the southeast at an oblique viewing angle at the time the image was taken; in other words, looking outwards from the ISS, not straight down towards Earth.

Image/caption credit: NASA

View original image/caption:
spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-23/html/...

More about space station science:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/index.html

There's a Flickr group about Space Station Science. Please feel welcome to join! www.flickr.com/groups/stationscience/

Comments and faves

  1. ★

    kystorms, -go crazy, Hadleygrass is asparagus, Rencha, and 274 other people added this photo to their favorites.

  2. -go crazy (36 months ago | reply)

    Thanks for sharing ! I'm going to this area tomorrow

  3. Hadleygrass is asparagus (36 months ago | reply)

    I love the pictures you post.

  4. pauline.kehoe (36 months ago | reply)

    Amazing capture, wonderful.

  5. Francesco Littmann - 42 (36 months ago | reply)

    Wonderful!!!

  6. clyde_sostand (36 months ago | reply)

    Great view......

    --
    Seen in my contacts' photos. (?)

  7. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (36 months ago | reply)

    Thank you for the nice comments, everyone!

    I'm glad you like these, Hadley.

    Have a good trip, gocrazyxo!

    Pauline, Francesco, and clyde, thanks much. :)

  8. LaForzaDiMente (36 months ago | reply)

    Incredible! I can't help but see a similarity to neuron clusters whenever I see city lights from areal views.

  9. frits de vink (36 months ago | reply)

    This is amazing. You don't realise the tremendous amount of light there is.

  10. Ken-Zan (35 months ago | reply)

    Great ,Wonderful and amazing .................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  11. Nicolò Panzeri (35 months ago | reply)

    This photo is a good sample in the flickr. It is awarded the flickr Award!

    flickrAward (post1 – award 5)
    Please Tag your photo with “flickrAward” and visit the flickr Award Gallery
    Please post the photo to flickr Award 5+ thread if you received 5 or more of this award

  12. Andoni Aleman (35 months ago | reply)

    This photo is a good sample in the flickr. It is awarded the flickr Award!

    flickrAward (post1 – award 5)
    Please Tag your photo with “flickrAward” and visit the flickr Award Gallery
    Please post the photo to flickr Award 5+ thread if you received 5 or more of this award

  13. Don3rdSE (35 months ago | reply)

    Wow! This is really well done!

    Seen in:



    Flickr Bronze Award
    Post 1, and award 5

  14. Jehane* (35 months ago | reply)

    Seen in:



    Flickr Bronze Award
    Post 1, and award 5

  15. tou1954 (35 months ago | reply)

    Seen in:



    Flickr Bronze Award
    Post 1, and award 5

  16. Kamelfisk (35 months ago | reply)

    Nice photo.
    But are you allowed to post it? Just wondering.

  17. gabriele968 (35 months ago | reply)

    Wonderful shot!

  18. mrizal@72 (35 months ago | reply)

    COOL SHOT!!! : seen in :

    "Double Dragon Awards"
    Post 1 Award 3 (Sweeper IS active)

    If you receive 5+ Awards /Si has recibido +5 de Premios Click here /Clica aqui

    If you receive 4 Awards /Si has recibido 4 Premios Click here / Clica aqui

  19. anna anton * (35 months ago | reply)

    Wooow..:)) !

    COOL SHOT!!! : seen in :

    "Double Dragon Awards"
    Post 1 Award 3 (Sweeper IS active)

    If you receive 5+ Awards /Si has recibido +5 de Premios Click here /Clica aqui

    If you receive 4 Awards /Si has recibido 4 Premios Click here / Clica aqui

  20. malla_mi (33 months ago | reply)

    pure miracle

  21. Jacopo Mortilla (33 months ago | reply)

    Beautiful Photo...!! =D
    Coming to see my pictures, & comment!! ..please
    ------> www.flickr.com/photos/jacopomortilla/show/ <-------

  22. Bil.bia (33 months ago | reply)

    Bellissima!

  23. d.kirill.s.1997 (30 months ago | reply)

    Cool picture! Can I use it on my blog?
    sochineniya.22web.net

  24. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (29 months ago | reply)

    Absolutely, as long as this isn't a commercial use. Please just credit NASA. Thanks for much for your interest in our photo!

  25. raff86 (29 months ago | reply)

    Wow, wonderful view!

  26. manny1110681 (28 months ago | reply)

    This is an awesome picture
    real nice work...

  27. This photo was invited and added to the Marseille Raie Publique group.

  28. lilicomanche (28 months ago | reply)

    We love this picture, seen on Marseille Raie Publique
    Thanks to post it in our pool

  29. bbkendrick@ymail.com (28 months ago | reply)

    Great

  30. Emotioned.com (27 months ago | reply)

    We are working on a monthly travel and adventure sport competition, all winning entries will be published in an online magazine. Judge panel will selected from Flickr.

    There are 3 parts of the competition, 2 parts are currently under development:

    A Flick group called : www.flickr.com/groups/emotioned/

  31. aphotoshooter (27 months ago | reply)

    stunning...
    amazing view..

    keep shooting, friend..
    Cheers.!

  32. Arts'moonika (Ø) (27 months ago | reply)

    Magnifique !

  33. Damon | Photography (25 months ago | reply)

    Amazing ....

  34. Le***Refs *PHOTOGRAPHIE* (19 months ago | reply)

    thanks!

  35. Jaya C. (18 months ago | reply)

    Amazing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  36. Triple Art (17 months ago | reply)

    Your photo is lonely outstanding – wonderful captured - thank you for sharing.

    Do you know about the new Triple Art Video ?
    Made in Switzerland

  37. Alain ♥ (17 months ago | reply)

    Exceptionnel ! Merci !

  38. Eudaimonie (15 months ago | reply)

    just stunning!!!!

  39. - Dave Morrow - (14 months ago | reply)

    so cool

    [ via search results on flickriver  --Dave Morrow's Custom Creations ]

  40. denismartin (6 months ago | reply)

    This photo is a good sample in the flickr. It is awarded the flickr Award!

    flickrAward (post1 – award 5)
    Please Tag your photo with “flickrAward” and visit the flickr Award Gallery
    Please post the photo to flickr Award 5+ thread if you received 5 or more of this award

  41. Holygal1 (5 months ago | reply)

    Dear Sir or Madam:

    Hi! How are you? How old are you? I am thirty-two years old. Wonderful snapshot of France! It is divine! You are an angel. God bless.

    Sincerely,

    Autumn

  42. EchoSciences Grenoble (4 months ago | reply)

    Hi !
    Nice shot ! :-) We used your photo to illustrate one of our articles (in French) :
    echosciences-grenoble.fr/actualites/lumiere-s ur-grenoble
    For your information, your Flickr account is quoted in footnote.
    Feel free to add a comment :-)
    Thanks for sharing !
    The Echosciences Grenoble team

  43. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (4 months ago | reply)

    Thank you so very much! This looks wonderful, and we appreciate you using our image. :)

    Hello, Holygal! We're at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.A. Thank you for your kind words, and have a beautiful day!

  44. This photo was invited and added to the 喜欢就好 group.

  45. This photo was invited and added to the Grenoble vue du ciel group.

  46. This photo was invited and added to the Stumbleupon and eBay group.

keyboard shortcuts: ← previous photo → next photo L view in light box F favorite < scroll film strip left > scroll film strip right ? show all shortcuts