The Nighttime Lights of the World

Title: The Nighttime Lights of the World
Description: The Nighttime Lights of the World dataset contains the first satellite-based global inventory of human settlements, derived from nighttime data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS). The DMSP-OLS has the unique capability to observe faint sources of visible-near infrared emissions present at the Earth's surface, including cities, towns, villages, gas flares, and fires. NGDC has developed algorithms for producing georeferenced fire and nighttime lights prod, System requirements: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software that reads ESRI shapefile format.
Creator: United States, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Publisher: National Geophysical and Solar-Terrestrial Data Center
Subject: Light sources, Flare gas systems (Chemical engineering), Fires, Auroras, Human settlements
Rights: This item is in the public domain. There are no restrictions on use.
Rights Holder: This work is in the Public Domain, meaning that it is not subject to copyright.
Access Rights: Public
Format: File
Language: English
Date Added: October 01, 2025

Location

The Nighttime Lights of the World. National Geophysical and Solar-Terrestrial Data Center. https://purl.stanford.edu/md046mk5023