Tracking Night Lights in Ukraine

Using the nighttime sensing capabilities of instruments on NOAA–NASA satellites, scientists from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) have observed the changes in light usage around Ukraine since January 2022. After a significant reduction of lights in March, power has slowly been restored and regular human activity has appeared to pick up in several parts of the country, particularly around the capital.

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi-NPP satellite measures nighttime light emissions and reflections via its day-night band. This sensing capability makes it possible to distinguish the intensity of lights on Earth’s surface and how they change.

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