Earth in the black

Satellite images capture fine details of planet’s night lights.

SAN FRANCISCO — Lights from human activity shine brightly in a collection of new images showing Earth at night more clearly than ever before. Dubbed “Black Marble,” the high-resolution images were released December 5 at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union.

BLACK MARBLE Lights from human activity ring the otherwise dark Atlantic Ocean in this new image, part of a collection showing Earth at night more clearly than ever before.