NOAA Posts Images Online of Northeast Blackout

Press Release From: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Posted: Monday, August 18, 2003

NOAA today posted online satellite images taken before and after of the historic blackout of the Northeastern United States, which plunged millions of people into darkness. NOAA processed the night lights data taken by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). NOAA archives the data from the satellite.

* NOAA image of night lights before the blackout in the Northeastern USA taken Aug. 13, 2003, at 9:21 p.m. EDT. NOAA processed the data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. Please credit NOAA/DMSP.

• http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/images/nightlights-081403-0121z2.jpg (45KB)
• http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/images/nightlights-081403-0121z.jpg (723KB)

* NOAA image for larger view of blackout in the Northeastern USA taken Aug. 14, 2003, at 9:03 p.m. EDT. NOAA processed the data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. Please credit NOAA/DMSP.

• http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/images/nightlights-081503-0103z2.jpg (49KB)
• http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/images/nightlights-081503-0103z.jpg (794KB)

NOAA also has available a USA night lights cloud-free composite image taken by the DMSP from Oct. 1, 1994, to March 31, 1995. NOAA processed the data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite. Please credit NOAA/DMSP.

• http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/images/usa-nightlights1994-1995b.jpg (85KB)
• http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/images/usa-nightlights1994-1995.jpg (961KB)

The following images were processed by the Air Force Weather Agency. There are two versions of each image, with and without annotations.

Please credit the following images to the Air Force Weather Agency or AFWA. They processed the images using the DMSP.

Night Lights satellite image about 20 hours before the blackout taken Aug. 13, 2003.

* With annotations

• http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/nightlights/blackout081403-20hrsbefore-text.jpg
• (156KB)

* Without annotations

• http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/nightlights/blackout081403-20hrsbefore.jpg (149KB)

Night Lights satellite image about seven hours after the blackout.

* With annotations

• http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/nightlights/blackout081503-7hrsafter-text.jpg
• (148KB)

* Without annotations

• http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/nightlights/blackout081503-7hrsafter.jpg (136KB)

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nationís coastal and marine resources. NOAA is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Relevant Web Sites

* NOAA Environmental Visualization Lab http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/

* NOAA Satellites http://www.noaa.gov/satellites.html

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