People are moved by 'heart breaking' images from NASA which tell dozens of stories about our populations
People are amazed by images showing the spread of light pollution across Earth.
A YouTube video posted by neo shared satellite images that reflect current global developments and conflicts in the world calling it: 'How one NASA image tells dozens of stories'.
In 2016, US space agency NASA used the Suomi NPP weather satellite to create a powerful image of our planet at night.
It's fascinating while at the same time, quite saddening.
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Regions with 'high populations and high prosperity' such as Tokyo and Istanbul have the most light pollution and thus, show up as the brightest.
In Europe, places like the Benelux region and Po Valley are so illuminated that they appear as one massive "sea of light." Even the River Nile is clearly visible, lit up by commercial boats. Take a look for yourself:
Interestingly, even remote areas like western Australia show signs of light, capturing wildfires over a span of 22 days, neo said.
But where the images take a sombre turn is in regions with little or no light.
For instance, Raqqa, the de facto capital of the terrorist Islamic State, becomes progressively darker in every frame.
The tragic reality behind these shots portrays the city's conflict and devastation between 2012 and 2017.
And images of Syria between 2012 and 2016 show the country's gradual descent into darkness as a result of the civil war.
'When we see a city darken in these images, it shows the annihilation of a place and its history and ultimately, the end of many human lives,' neo explained. 'These black pixels in such an image can say a lot more than the lit ones.'
Another striking comparison is the difference in brightness between North and South Korea.
South Korea glows in the images with its bustling cities and brightly lit fishing waters. Meanwhile, North Korea is almost entirely dark, except for a faint light in the capital city of Pyongyang which suggests the country's outdated energy infrastructure and frequent power shortages.
neo continued: 'Whilst South Korea is completely accessible, much of what happens in the north remains in the dark.'
According to the YouTuber, these images offer the most 'impressive illustration of how big the impact of more than 70 years of division is,' showing both the social divides and political strife over the years.
And the fact that this type of observation can't be made in daylight is pretty crazy.
Viewers were moved by the imagery.
"Seeing the light just fade away from Syria is heart breaking," one user commented.
"I wish schools taught geography like this," another suggested.
"Amazing never thought that a image could be this informative," wrote another impressed user.
Others wanted more, adding: "This video should've been longer. Even half an hour just so we could scout the world more".