The U.S. East Coast at Night

Photo By: NASA Earth Observatory

The sprawling development and highways that connect New York (right to left), Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., are evident in this astronaut's photo, taken April 6, 2011, of the U.S. East Coast at night. (Also visible: Norfolk, Va., at bottom left.) NASA describes the photo:

As metropolitan areas expand in both physical area and population, they typically aggregate to form economically, politically and, to some extent, socially linked entities known as conurbations. The term “megalopolis” has also been used.

One of the largest conurbations in the world is located along East Coast of the United States, and has been termed the Atlantic Seaboard Conurbation. The (Atlantic Seaboard Conurbation) extends over 600 miles and includes the major economic, governmental, and cultural centers of Boston, Massachusetts; New York, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; and Washington, District of Columbia.

The irony of the photo? While astronauts can clearly see the lights on the ground from an altitude of about 200 miles, light pollution from the bright city lights prevent city dwellers from clearly seeing the stars.

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