It puzzles me about the French claim that their streetlights are constructed so as not to waste energy. I’ve seen satellite pictures which show France and Corsica as dark patches in a radiant Europe. And there are other satellite pictures where France looks much the same. Somebody is fibbing.
Oooh Can I make out Dublin Bay?
Nope.
Oi, Denny, you seem to have left your bathroom light on. 
I can’t understand why there’s a bright spot right at the tip of Cornwall. There isn’t that much there. They must have taken the picture when Mousehole Christmas lights were switched on. 
Cool.
WAY cool
I have this compulsion to go back to the pic and identify more regions.
This is a fascinating illustration in relation to a National Geographic program I’ve watched recently, The Journey of Man which is about a study to pin down more data on how the migratory patterns of humans populated the earth. Great viewing, particularly if you have any lingering belief in the notion of “race.” Kind of smoothes human physical variation into the continuum that it is.
But … but … where’s the people? 
djm
Clearly, the eastern U.S is brighter than the western. All the Ivy League schools and such.
dear denny:
could you please post the link to this photo? i saw this years ago and tried finding it without success years ago too. for how pretty this picture is, it’s very sad to me. what a waste of energy. i bet we could turn off 90% of those lights and still get by. i’m also extremely jealous. i want to live in one of those very dark spaces.
mutepointe, the pictures in Denny’s threads are also links. Just click on the picture and it will open the linked site in a new window or tab.
djm
just when they had me convinced the dang thing was round…
Holy crap. The Twin Cities area is really bright.
It’s astonishing how pretty much the whole of Africa is dark.
That’s why they call it…wait for it…wait for it…oh nevermind.
…The Continent of Insufficient Illumination… 
Dr. Livingston, I presume? 
djm
-Its a composite of time exposures, thus the exaggerated light blobs. A glance by our human eyes from the same vantage point would show much dimmer lighting. Lights would still be obvious, however, as when John Glenn in orbit over Perth exclaimed about the light bill for all the lights turned on in his honor as he flew past.
And what, may I ask, is wrong with insufficient illumination? I got back very late from my Friday night gig (far too sober, as I’d had to drive 30 miles home!) and when I got out of the car I could see stars right down to the floor in every direction. The atmosphere was gin-clear and there was no moon. Just to stand there for five minutes enveloped by this great, upturned bowl of stars with not the merest hint of cloud or haze was quite an experience. I could reach out and touch the Milky Way. Well, three more pints of Doom Bar and I would have been able to… 
On this map it tends to run parallel with insufficient medicine, food, and education.