Dubai, United Arab Emirates at Night (NASA, International Space Station, 02/22/12) by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/bEmC1t Editor's note: is it just me, or does this look like something fromt Tron? :) Posted to the NASA Views Earth at Night photoset: http://ift.tt/ACMwRs City lights of Dubai, United Arab Emirates are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 30 crew member on the International Space Station. The City of Dubai—the largest metropolitan area within the emirate of Dubai—is a favorite subject of astronaut photography largely due to the unique island developments situated directly offshore in the Persian Gulf. These artificial archipelagos have been built such that their full design is only visible from the vantage point of an airplane -- or an orbiting spacecraft such as the International Space Station. The city presents an eye-catching appearance at night that vividly displays the urban development pattern. In this detailed nighttime image—taken with a long focal length lens and digital camera optimized for fast response and high light sensitivity—several interesting patterns can be observed. The highways and major streets are sharply defined by yellow-orange lighting, while the commercial and residential areas are resolved into a speckle pattern of individual white, blue, and yellow-orange lights. Several large and brilliantly lit areas are large hotel and mall complexes, including the Burj Khalifa Tower; at 828 meters (2,717 feet) height it is the world's tallest building. The brilliant lighting of the city contrasts sharply with both the dark Persian Gulf to the northwest, and largely undeveloped and unlit areas to the southeast. Likewise, the clusters of lighting in the Palm Jumeira complex at bottom right correspond to the relatively small part of the archipelago that has been developed. Isolated areas of blurred city lights are due to patchy clouds. Image credit: NASA Original image: http://ift.tt/1nKOqHf... More about space station research: http://ift.tt/xjbXfr There's a Flickr group about Space Station Research. Please feel welcome to join! http://ift.tt/x5fek7 View more than 400 photos like this in the "NASA Earth Images" Flickr photoset: http://ift.tt/xoZoMs _____________________________________________ These official NASA photographs are being made available for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photographs. The photographs may not be used in materials, advertisements, products, or promotions that in any way suggest approval or endorsement by NASA. All Images used must be credited. For information on usage rights please visit: http://ift.tt/IxHaFD...