A Digital Sunset Over Europe and Africa

Taken from here.



The Urban Legends reference page describes it as:

The picture is of Europe and Africa when the sun is setting. Half of the picture is in night. The bright dots you see are the cities lights. The top part of Africa is the Sahara Desert. Note how the lights are already on in Holland, Paris, and Barcelona, and how it's still daylight in London, Lisbon, and Madrid.

The sun is still shining on the Straight of Gibraltar, and the Mediterranean Sea is already in darkness. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean you can see the Azores Islands; below them to the right are the Madeira Islands; a bit below are the Canary Islands; and further south, close to the farthest western point of Africa, the Cape Verde Islands. Note how the Sahara is huge and can be seen clearly both during daytime and nighttime. To the left, on top, is Greenland, totally frozen.

Awesome this digital composite isn't it? And for those of you flying frequently on long haul - those *real-time* pics you see on the mini-TV screen in front of your seat or wall projections of day and night of earth can be just a click away.

Inane post, yes, but do you know that I used to frequent the Singapore Science Center 's Astronomy section if only to look at those plastic balls masquerading as planets? While busying ourselves with life on earth, it would be good sometimes if we can just step out of Mother Earth and look at her from the outside. You will be amazed by what you see.

More images (from NASA)