Observing the Earth from space is a cosmonaut's favorite occupation on the International Space Station. They can set up cameras to automatically take pictures during work, but often take photos in their free time on their own.
ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst made this photo of Europe at night in September, signing: "From space, it is clear that Europe is keeping together." The picture shows a huge amount of artificial light, called light pollution. Often this is a real problem for those who like to watch meteor showers or stars, as the sky is lit up, hiding amazing cosmic phenomena.
However, the problem is not only that. Light pollution relates to energy costs. The world is watching climate change, and the topic of inefficient waste of energy is rising again and again. Therefore, researchers have launched a civil project to create a nightly maps of the Earth. Astronauts take pictures, and civilian scientists have to determine the city and the terrain, since the person copes with this better than computer algorithms. As a result, scientists plan to create a global night map of the Earth to demonstrate the places where electricity is used inefficiently, and to encourage greater savings. In addition, such an initiative will allow the dark starry sky to return.
