Return to Earth From Space Home
Earth from Space logo Image Information Earth from Space logo

Display a Screen Layout for Printing

IMAGE: gray corner       IMAGE: gray corner
  Image: Geographic Location Direction Photo #: ISS027-E-20129 Date: Apr. 2011
Geographic Region: USA-MARYLAND
Feature: EASTERN SEABOARD AT NIGHT, PHILADELPHIA, NEW YORK, BALTIMORE, WASHINGTON

Ordering information for space photography
 
IMAGE: gray corner     IMAGE: gray corner

Image: gray corner     Image: gray corner
  View Low-Resolution Image  
  Atlantic Seaboard Conurbation at Night, United States of America

Note: This caption refers to the image versions labeled "NASA's Earth Observatory web site".

As regional metropolitan areas expand in both physical area and population, they typically aggregate to form economically, politically, and to some extent socially linked entities known as conurbations - the term "megalopolis" has also been used. One of the largest conurbations in the world is located along the eastern coastline of the United States, and has been termed the Atlantic Seaboard Conurbation (ASC). The ASC extends over 1000 kilometers and includes the major economic, governmental, and cultural centers of Boston, MA; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Baltimore, MD; and Washington, D.C.

This astronaut photograph includes every metropolitan area in the ASC except for Boston, MA (located off the image to the northeast of New York, NY). The image was taken during local night, which highlights the position and extent of each metropolitan area along the eastern seaboard by their urban lighting patterns. The establishment and growth of the conurbation was facilitated by transportation networks (railroads, highways, and air travel routes) for transfer of goods, materials, and population between the metropolitan areas.

Two other large metropolitan areas are visible in the image - Norfolk, VA and Richmond, VA at image lower left - but these are not considered to be part of the ASC. In contrast to the city lights that mark metropolitan areas and smaller communities along the sea coast and interior, the Atlantic Ocean appears as a featureless dark region occupying the lower right quarter of the image.
 
Image: gray corner     Image: gray corner

Images: All Available Images Low-Resolution 151k
Mission: ISS027  
Roll - Frame: E - 20129
Geographical Name: USA-MARYLAND  
Features: EASTERN SEABOARD AT NIGHT, PHILADELPHIA, NEW YORK, BALTIMORE, WASHINGTON  
Center Lat x Lon: 39.0N x 76W
Film Exposure:   N=Normal exposure, U=Under exposed, O=Over exposed, F=out of Focus
Percentage of Cloud Cover-CLDP: 10
 
Camera: N5
 
Camera Tilt: HO   LO=Low Oblique, HO=High Oblique, NV=Near Vertical
Camera Focal Length: 80  
 
Nadir to Photo Center Direction: NW   The direction from the nadir to the center point, N=North, S=South, E=East, W=West
Stereo?:   Y=Yes there is an adjacent picture of the same area, N=No there isn't
Orbit Number: 2957  
 
Date: 20110406   YYYYMMDD
Time: 051921   GMT HHMMSS
Nadir Lat: 33.2N  
Latitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Nadir Lon: 72.8W  
Longitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Sun Azimuth: 10   Clockwise angle in degrees from north to the sun measured at the nadir point
Space Craft Altitude: 186   nautical miles
Sun Elevation: -50   Angle in degrees between the horizon and the sun, measured at the nadir point
Land Views: COAST  
Water Views: OCEAN, SEA  
Atmosphere Views:  
Man Made Views:  
City Views: BALTIMORE, NORFOLK, PHILADELPHIA, RICHMOND, WASHINGTON  
Photo is not associated with any sequences


NASA
Home Page
JSC
Home Page
JSC Digital
Image Collection
Earth Science &
Remote Sensing

NASA meatball logo
This service is provided by the International Space Station program and the JSC Earth Science & Remote Sensing Unit, ARES Division, Exploration Integration Science Directorate.
ESRS logo