Potential for global mapping of development via a nightsat mission |
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| Authors: | Christopher D Elvidge Jeffrey Safran Benjamin Tuttle Paul Sutton Pierantonio Cinzano Donald Pettit John Arvesen Christopher Small |
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| Institution: | (1) Earth Observation Group, NOAA-NESDIS National Geophysical Data Center, Boulder, CO, USA;(2) Environmental Systems Research Institute, Broomfield, CO, USA;(3) Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA;(4) Department of Geography, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA;(5) Dipartimento di Astronomia, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy;(6) Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologia dell’Inquinamento Luminoso (ISTIL), Thiene, Italy;(7) NASA Johnson Spaceflight Center, Houston, TX, USA;(8) Cirrus Digital Systems, Tiburon, CA, USA;(9) Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, The Earth Institute at Colombia University, Palisades, NY, USA |
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| Abstract: | Nightsat is a concept for a satellite system capable of global observation of the location, form and density of lighted infrastructure
and development within human settlements. Nightsat’s repeat cycle should be sufficient to produce an annual cloud-free composite
of surface lighting to enable detection of growth rates. Airborne and satellite imagery have been used to define the range
of spatial, spectral, and detection limit options for a future Nightsat mission. Our conclusion is that Nightsat should collect
data from a near-synchronous orbit in the early evening with 50–100 m spatial resolution and have detection limits of 2.5E−8 W cm−2 sr−1 μm−1 or better. Multispectral low-light imaging data would be better than panchromatic data by providing valuable information
on the type or character of lighting, a potentially stronger predictor of variables such as ambient population density and
economic activity. |
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| Keywords: | Urban Exurban Nighttime lights Global mapping |
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