NASA Black Marble shows Earth brighter nights

NASA’s Black Marble update this month put a fresh set of night-lights maps in front of the public, showing that Earth’s nights have not simply grown brighter in a smooth line. The new NASA visuals, tied to a recent analysis of Black Marble data, map where artificial light intensified and where it fell between 2014 and 2022. (science.nasa.gov) NASA said the result is a more uneven picture of human activity after dark than the older idea of steady global brightening suggested. ### What exactly did NASA show this week? NASA Science and NASA Earth Observatory published maps and graphics in May 2026 based on Black Marble nighttime-light data, highlighting changes in brightness across most inhabited parts of the planet. (earthdata.nasa.gov) In the maps, gold and yellow mark areas with more brightening over the study period, while purple marks areas with more dimming. The April 13 NASA explainer and the May Earth Observatory feature both describe the same underlying finding: daily satellite observations over nearly a decade show a world with both brightening and dimming, often side by side. NASA said the imagery was derived from nighttime observations collected from 2014 through 2022. (science.nasa.gov) ### What is Black Marble, and how does it work? NASA Earthdata describes Black Marble as a nighttime-lights product suite built from the VIIRS Day/Night Band, a low-light sensor flown on Suomi-NPP, NOAA-20 and NOAA-21. The products provide daily, monthly and yearly records of nighttime light. (science.nasa.gov) The Black Marble team applies corrections for atmosphere, terrain, moonlight and stray light so the data can be used quantitatively rather than just as a picture of glowing cities. NASA says those corrected radiance measurements are used for research on light pollution, energy infrastructure, illegal fishing, gas flaring, disaster impacts and conflict areas. (science.nasa.gov) ### Is the planet actually getting brighter at night? NASA said the researchers found global radiance increased by 34% during the 2014-2022 study period. But the agency also said that top-line increase “masks large areas of dimming,” which is why the maps do not show a simple everywhere-brighter world. (earthdata.nasa.gov) The April NASA article said scientists analyzed 1.6 million satellite images collected nightly over nine years, and that the study team used a new algorithm to examine 1.16 million images taken at about 1:30 a.m. local time each day. NASA said that higher-frequency approach captured changes that annual averages can smooth over. (earthdata.nasa.gov) ### Where did NASA say nights got brighter — and where did they dim? NASA said China and northern India showed major increases in nighttime brightness alongside urban development. In the United States, NASA said many West Coast cities brightened as populations increased. (science.nasa.gov) NASA also said much of the U.S. East Coast dimmed, which the team attributed to broader economic restructuring and wider use of energy-efficient LEDs. In Europe, the agency cited reduced light pollution in Paris and across France, which it said dimmed 33%, as well as dimming in the United Kingdom at 22% and the Netherlands at 21%. (science.nasa.gov) The April NASA article also pointed to intense gas flaring in the Permian Basin in Texas and the Bakken Formation in North Dakota. Miguel Román, deputy director for atmospheres and data systems at NASA Goddard, said, “Earth at night has so much to teach us.” (science.nasa.gov) ### Why do these maps matter beyond a striking image? NASA Earthdata says Black Marble is used in near real time and can support weather prediction, disaster response and assessments in conflict areas. The agency also says the data can help track electrification, urban energy infrastructure and environmental change. (science.nasa.gov) NASA’s current public-facing maps and downloadable night-light products are available through the agency’s Science and Earthdata pages, including flat maps and higher-resolution files for researchers and other users. (science.nasa.gov) (earthdata.nasa.gov) (science.nasa.gov)