American DMSP satellites captured night images of Europe from space in 1992 and 2010, and the result is spectacular. In them you can see the development of cities according to the light they emit into the sky: Paris, Madrid, Rome, …
Obviously, the most illuminated areas correspond to the largest and most densely inhabited population centers.Thus, taking a look at the images, it can be seen how London, Paris and the Netherlands stand out for the brightness they give off, which indicates both a high density of population and of economic development , both in the image of 1992 and in 2010. It is also appreciated that the coastal areas are more populated, a fact that is clearly seen both in Italy and in northern Europe
In Spain Madrid stands out over the rest of the cities, although in the snapshot of 2010 a significant increase in brightness of the entire Mediterranean coast is appreciated. Likewise, the light development of the inland areas is appreciated both in Andalusia and in both castles, as well as the development of the last years of the Basque Country, Asturias and the Galician coast .
Outside the old continent, development has also been remarkable. Cairo and Israel stand out from the rest of North Africa , with light intensities similar to those seen in Europe.
The European Space Agency , ESA for its acronym in English, has shown these images to show the importance of caring for the planet and controlling energy consumption. In fact, on the occasion of Earth Hour organized by WWF, astronaut André Kuipers will photograph Earth from space between 8.30pm and 9.30pm local time to observe the impact of the action. This invites everyone to show their commitment to reducing energy consumption for the good of the planet, turning off the lights for one hour, between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm local time in each country.
