USA's Northeast
Megalopolis from Space
From NASA’s AstronomyPicture of the Day
Can you identify a
familiar area in the northeast USA just from nighttime lights? It might be
possible because many major cities are visible, including (right to left) New
York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond and Norfolk -- Boston of the USA's Northeast megalopolis is not pictured.
The featured image was taken in 2012 from the International
Space Station.
In the foreground are
two Russian cargo ships with prominent solar panels.
This Northeast
megalopolis of the USA contains almost 20 percent of the people of the USA but
only about 2 percent of the land area.
Also known also as the Northeast Corridor and part of the Eastern Seaboard, about 10 percent of the world's
largest companies are headquartered here.
The near continuity of the lights seem to add credence
to the 1960s-era prediction that the entire stretch is evolving into one continuous city.
Image Credit: NASA, International Space Station
