ISS038-E-16335
| NASA Photo ID | ISS038-E-16335 |
| Focal Length | 85mm |
| Date taken | 2013.12.11 |
| Time taken | 22:16:45 GMT |
Resolutions offered for this image:
1000 x 665 pixels 540 x 359 pixels 2125 x 1414 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 4256 x 2832 pixels 640 x 426 pixels
1000 x 665 pixels 540 x 359 pixels 2125 x 1414 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 4256 x 2832 pixels 640 x 426 pixels
Cloud masks available for this image:
Spacecraft nadir point: 25.4° N, 50.7° E
Photo center point: 24.7° N, 55.8° E
Photo center point by machine learning:
Photo center point: 24.7° N, 55.8° E
Photo center point by machine learning:
Nadir to Photo Center: East
Spacecraft Altitude: 221 nautical miles (409km)
Country or Geographic Name: | UNITED ARAB EMIRATES |
Features: | ABU DHABI, DUBAI AT NIGHT |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | DUBAI |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | 10 (1-10)% |
Sun Elevation Angle: | -66° |
Sun Azimuth: | 90° |
Camera: | Nikon D3S Electronic Still Camera |
Focal Length: | 85mm |
Camera Tilt: | 54 degrees |
Format: | 4256E: 4256 x 2832 pixel CMOS sensor, 36.0mm x 23.9mm, total pixels: 12.87 million, Nikon FX format |
Film Exposure: | |
| Additional Information | |
| Width | Height | Annotated | Cropped | Purpose | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 pixels | 665 pixels | No | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 540 pixels | 359 pixels | Yes | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 2125 pixels | 1414 pixels | No | No | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 720 pixels | 480 pixels | Yes | No | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 4256 pixels | 2832 pixels | No | No | Download Image | |
| 640 pixels | 426 pixels | No | No | Download Image |
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Image Caption: United Arab Emirates, Persian Gulf, At Night
Geographers like night images of cities because you see immediately so much about the human landscape--things that are difficult or impossible to see in day images. You see where the cities are located and their shape; the brightest light clusters frequently indicate the city centers. In large field of view images, such as this astronaut photograph of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from the International Space Station (ISS), you can also see cities' position relative to one another and their relative size. Here the largest cluster of lights is the conurbation ("joined cities") of Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman (population 3.25 million), with its smaller neighbor Dubai (population 2.1 million).
These cities front onto the Persian Gulf (also known as the Arabian Gulf) where the city lights are cut off abruptly at the coastline. The bright city centers are located at the coast showing that sea trade is important (and has been important) in the growth of these cities. Smaller cities are Al Ain (population 518,000), the fourth largest city in the UAE, and Fujairah (population 152,000). Major highways join the cities in a brightly lit network, and a faint peppering of lights offshore shows the relatively young oil and gas platforms on either side of the Musandam Peninsula (image left).
Despite being taken at night, the spike of the Musandam Peninsula is easy to imagine at the south end of the Persian Gulf. The biggest cities in the UAE are Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Muscat, the capital city of the neighboring country of Oman, appears image top center. By contrast, the almost unpopulated Musandam Peninsula shows very few lights.
Geographers like night images of cities because you see immediately so much about the human landscape--things that are difficult or impossible to see in day images. You see where the cities are located and their shape; the brightest light clusters frequently indicate the city centers. In large field of view images, such as this astronaut photograph of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from the International Space Station (ISS), you can also see cities' position relative to one another and their relative size. Here the largest cluster of lights is the conurbation ("joined cities") of Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman (population 3.25 million), with its smaller neighbor Dubai (population 2.1 million).
These cities front onto the Persian Gulf (also known as the Arabian Gulf) where the city lights are cut off abruptly at the coastline. The bright city centers are located at the coast showing that sea trade is important (and has been important) in the growth of these cities. Smaller cities are Al Ain (population 518,000), the fourth largest city in the UAE, and Fujairah (population 152,000). Major highways join the cities in a brightly lit network, and a faint peppering of lights offshore shows the relatively young oil and gas platforms on either side of the Musandam Peninsula (image left).
Despite being taken at night, the spike of the Musandam Peninsula is easy to imagine at the south end of the Persian Gulf. The biggest cities in the UAE are Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Muscat, the capital city of the neighboring country of Oman, appears image top center. By contrast, the almost unpopulated Musandam Peninsula shows very few lights.
