While lovely, NASA's photo (below) shows something that is disturbing to me - the amount of light pollution in Western Europe. What? I thought that we North Americans were the only people vile enough to squander billions of lumins on night lighting? How naive can I get?! Enjoy the view.
Image Credit: NASA
Western Europe at Night
With hardware from the Earth-orbiting International Space Station appearing in the near foreground, a night time European panorama reveals city lights from Belgium and the Netherlands at bottom center. the British Isles partially obscured by solar array panels at left, the North Sea at left center, and Scandinavia at right center beneath the end effector of the Space Station Remote Manipulator System or Canadarm2. This image was taken by the station crew on Jan. 22, 2012.
It looks lovely!!!!!!
Posted by: Kay Dennison | January 30, 2012 at 05:08 PM
when Nixon was president, didn't we dim the lights in our towns and houses to save energy? i can see where cities need adequate lighting on their streets because of all the people who work at night and need to walk around safely without being ambushed from the shadows. but...do we need all of this? yes, it is lovely to look at.
Posted by: M.E. | January 31, 2012 at 07:56 AM
I guess we're not alone...but it is beautiful.
Posted by: Joy | January 31, 2012 at 05:21 PM
Kay, ME, & Joy--Apologies. Once again, a comment has gone off into the ether, nevermore to be seen. I'm happy to share a pleasing vista. NASA produces great photos!
Kay--Thanks for coming by - even after the tweaking I gave you at your place. *smiling*
ME--As I recall, Pres Nixon (following the 1973 Saudi Arabian oil crisis) instituted nation-wide (at least in the contiguous 48 states) Daylight Savings Time that lasted for over one year. It was his administration, too, that instituted the national 55 mile-per-hour speed limit. Unfortunately, 20 years later the American people proved that they didn't give a fig for reducing traffic deaths or oil use by repealing the "55 Alive" laws. (I still, except when "speeding" to a disaster response assignment, observe the 55 mile-per-hour limit to my speed.
I don't specifically recall that Nixon asked us to dim the lights, but it would certainly be aligned with other initiatives of his administration. It may be that the guidelines on street/lot lighting were developed in those days to have lights illuminate downward, only.
Joy--We've never been alone on anything that I know about. Sometimes we just have a short horizon of attention. *laughing*
Posted by: Cop Car | February 03, 2012 at 12:54 PM