In daylight, our big blue marble is all land, oceans and clouds.

But the night is electric.

Seen from space, our planet comes alive with light.

This new view of the Earth's night lights is a composite of data acquired by the polar orbiting Suomi NPP satellite.

Aboard the satellite, a newly designed instrument called VIIRS is able to collect what scientists say is a remarkably detailed view of the Earth at night.

In some places, city lights resemble solitary stars in the night sky.

In other places, dense clusters of galaxies.

The satellite can even distinguish brightly lit boats that line Egypt's Nile River.

And the massive flames from gas flares produced as a byproduct of oil and gas exploration in the Middle East.

As the satellite passes over the darkness of the Himalayas, it shows how human settlement is bound by natural borders.

Even political borders are starkly visible in this view of North and South Korea.

And in a line of fishing boats that dot the Yellow Sea.

But not all light is electric. Glowing just as bright, flaming wildfires burn across Australia.

This new view of the Earth at night offers a unique perspective for exploring the many places in which we live,

and seeing the impact of human populations around the world, no matter how faint or how bright their lights shine.