 |
| Italian Peninsula at Night |
A fantastic photo of the Southern Italian Peninsula at Night from NASA. This is great to illustrate the boot shape of the peninsula, and also how easy it is to see populated areas at night time due to the street lights. The photo was take on June 15, 2011 by an astronaut on the ISS (International Space Station).
At night, Earth’s surface is covered with a delicate tracery of lights, particularly in regions that have a long history of urban development (such as Europe). Large urban areas are recognizable from orbit due to extensive electric lighting and distinct street patterns. With smaller urban areas spread across the land surface and coastlines, the outlines of continental land masses are easily discernable at night.
More information can be found at the NASA website.
If you like our tips and resource links to help teach geography, become fan of us on Facebook or follow our Twitter feed. We regularly post resources for use in the classroom.