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NASA / NOAA
This picture of Earth at night is based on 1994-1995 satellite data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Operational Linescan System, which maps the location of permanent lights on the planet. The borders of North Korea are outlined in white, with Japan off to the right, China to the left and South Korea below.
The death of North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Il, serves as a reminder that the hard-line communist country has long been in the dark — literally. A white border highlights the dark spot known as North Korea in this visualization of our planet's city lights.
This iconic "Earth at Night" picture is based on data gathered by military satellites in 1994-1995, just after Kim inherited power from his late father, Kim Il Sung. The darkness shows how much North Korea has lagged behind its neighbors — South Korea, China, Russia and Japan — in electrification and industrial development. Updates of the data sets show that there's been no change in North Korea's city-light situation between 1992 and 2009. Check out NOAA's "Science on a Sphere" webpage for more about the "Earth at Night" satellite data project.
A different kind of satellite project shows where North Korea has made progress during the dark age of Kim Jong Il: For years, the Institute for Science and International Security has been using satellite imagery to document the state of North Korea's nuclear program. Pictures acquired from orbit over the past couple of years show new construction at the country's Yongbyon nuclear center.
Here's a recent picture of the Yongbyon site from DigitalGlobe, a commercial satellite imaging venture. ISIS says the blue roofs on a gas centrifuge plant and an adjoining building appear to be part of increased construction activity:
DigitalGlobe
This high-resolution satellite image from DigitalGlobe, acquired on Nov. 4, 2010, shows new construction at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear site. The building with a deep blue roof is thought to be a gas centrifuge plant.
"Whatever the purpose, these activities show that more is going on at Yongbyon than commonly believed," ISIS analyst Paul Brannan wrote in his latest report. The future of North Korea's nuclear program will be a top concern for the United States and its allies as they assess Pyongyang's leadership transition — and satellites will provide the key data for that assessment.
These satellite views of North Korea serve as today's offering from the Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar, which presents views of Earth from space every day from now until Christmas. Catch up on these previous entries from the calendar:
- The full Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar
- Dec. 1: An ornament in outer space
- Dec. 2: The masses in Mecca
- Dec. 3: Santa's shrinking domain
- Dec. 4: The monster of Madagascar
- Dec. 5: Antarctica stripped naked
- Dec. 6: Streaking for home
- Dec. 7: Pearl Harbor from above, 1941-2011
- Dec. 8: The rise and fall of the Dead Sea
- Dec. 9: How an eclipse dims Earth
- Dec. 10: Psychedelic storm
- Dec. 11: Beauty of the Inland Sea
- Dec. 12: Drone-spotting stirs up debate
- Dec. 13: Light up your St. Lucy's Day
- Dec. 14: Satellite spots Chinese aircraft carrier
- Dec. 15: Hooray for Hollywood
- Dec. 16: Olympics under construction
- Dec. 17: Mystery in the Gobi Desert
- Dec. 18: Glow over Miami
- Hubble calendar, from The Atlantic's In Focus
- 2011 Zooniverse Advent calendar
Tip o' the Log to Ezra Klein's Wonkblog at The Washington Post and Afrikent.
Correction for 11 p.m. ET: I mistakenly referred to "Science on a Sphere" as being provided by NASA, when it's actually provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Sorry about that! Must have been because the first time I saw the "Science on a Sphere" display was at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
Leave a Comment:
Instead of needlessly invading Iraq why wouldnt we invade N. Korea? Same sht right? We know people have been suffering there for decades. Oh yeah, no money in it. I forgot. Here I thought we were for human rights and the spread of freedom. Pffff...
Not a case of money here.
Big brother China will not allow it.
So true. Don't want to piss off the cosmonauts. I mean the communists
I was stationed in Korea, and they are not at all like it is in the middle east.....When Asains goto war, they dont stop for @!$%#......we have to pratically use nukes or invent new weapons....lmao
That's true, Asians don't quit. But those MFKers got to wonder when they look at our professional fierce soldiers on the DMZ. Sure the N. Koreans are laughing, smoking and looking kind of lame but there is a million of them ready to die. It wouldn't be pretty for either side.
A classic case of "keep them in the dark and feed them bullsh!t".
Communists and socialist ALL like to keep their people this way.
Keep your thumb on the people and make sure they work during the day and are locked up at night.
Be careful who you support for president in November.
This scenario could be coming to a town near you.
omg, not another "obama is a communist and we're all going to turn into north korea" nutcase.
OMFG, ok we are "Fighting for Freedom" Bush said, Freedom is an elusive word, and politicians love to use to get their way, Democrat, Republican, even the official name of North Korea is the "Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea" DPRK.....
Common "Keep them in the dark" ok lets see.....
1) Giving Tax breaks to weathy people (hey you poor idiot, give me more money and it will come back to ya, yeah it will...hah)
2) Gotta give "Freedom" to Iraq, put a boot up saddam ass. And the oil will pay for the war, and the people of Iraq will be waving american flags...
3) "Obama Care is going to destroy america! "Only the america that rich doctors get to live in a house of gold, because asprin is $90 buck a whop) Besides cure the common cold, you know you can, wait, over the counter meds make more money than curing it!
4) its not wall street ripping you off Tea Party, its the people, more specifically the ones who are SOL, your own citizens!
Gotta love it.....Smells like.......like.....
Lobbist
Lobbist
Lobbist
And dont talk bad about corp Lobbists, they have that right too, just they have more money... or your unamerican............
"Keep them in the dark"
The alternative to what I said, is to live like a pig..............
Here we go again sticking of liberal noses in another countrys business. We should should be more careful if one remembers north korea kicked our ass*^ pretty goodin the fiftys.
Actually, it wasn't North Korea that kicked our heinies. What got us in trouble was when we were kicking the North Korean's heinies and got too close to the Yalu River (the natural border between the North and China)--at that point, China feared we would keep going over the river, and the world's largest standing army swarmed over the border and all hell broke loose....It was the Chinese, in massive numbers, that made things hard on us.....
North Korea kicked no ones ass.
Under threat by Truman of Nuclear attack (to both North Korea AND China they both backed off).
That is what established the 38th parallel.
The armistice was signed and a cease fire agree upon.
The US did not lose.
We won we we sought.
"liberal noses"? the US has been involved with north korea since the 50s under all parties and presidents.
Yes they did. It's because we didnt belong there. I don't think we should be fighting anywhere. Kills me that we have gotten to the point where we have almost no choice but to be involved in foriegn affairs and wars overseas. Why do we have to be that country? We are what Rome was. Over extended and broke.
With a picture like that, you don't need words to explain why communism is a failed and backwards form of government.
Now fly over cities such as Vegas to see the drain on energy demand. OH, I forgot. The Big Egos.
This is an Opportunity for another Obama Apolgy Tour and he can Bow to the New Leader and invite him for a State Dinner.
I am sure after that they will forgive us
this is an opportunity to point out that "apology tour" was a fox news talking point.
I forgive you. :)
Its sad they are kept in such meager conditions by a tyrannical dictator. That's the problem with any government, when a select few keep it all to themselves. Doesn't matter if its the 1%, or the supreme one with a cherry on top... A pig is a pig.
Hopefully the new guy is a little more enlightened
they have an awkward way of PROVING something..they definitely are not wasteful, and who knows, they maybe on to something unbeknown to anyone..i'm not to judge, i'm sure they have their reasons......
It's a 16-17 year old photo. I'd like to see North and South Korea unite.
Candlestick Park has it's own little blackout tonight. Again
The World Wildlife Fund should consider moving its headquarters there. It embodies their ideal world.
umm wow are those buildings just sim city graphics? those buildings look like they were added into the picture
It's interesting how american news still to this day call the north korean rule as communist when it never was.
What do you call the "Workers Party"? It's too "Kimmist" to use the name Marxist-Leninist, but that's what it is. Much more Communist than "Communist" China is nowadays!
The weird thing is that the leaders and elites in North Korea would have even more money and power if they dropped the nukes and opened up the country to commerce. Go figure.
'Satellites document North Korea's dark ages'
I like how our propaganda is made, lmao
Nice for viewing the stars at least....
this is old news...these images or similar have been posted for years. ironically this is what the eco-nuts want to happen to the US
Ahh...photos from 1994-1995? Like...where is the photos from the last 15 years? I'm not a North Korea sympathizer but doesn't this seem a little "slanted" to suit the article? It's like taking a photo of a millstone and saying we just invented the wheel!! Stupid media!!
I love how the entire comments section is a bunch of fellows angry at one idiots comment. DOES THIS WORLD NOT UNDERSTAND TROLLS?
Nothing could be a more stark example of how economics work in the real world.
North Korea--A centrally planned economy where everything revolves around the state.
South Korea--A free-market capitalist society with a respect for property rights; where the individual is allowed to succeed or fail and the success of the individual benefits society as a whole.
Did you just call me an a--hole?
South Korea.....is a socialist country..............
@brownh
Please don't interject your opinion because you choose to ignore facts.
The North Koreans were led into a military society and if we are not careful we can be too. Military action is not the only solution to problems between nations but instead everyone need to sit down and talk because there is no last word in diplomacy. The military industry will not stop they make their living on war and making weapons for war if we only spent one tenth that amount on medical research and social problems what a wonderful world we would have. I see some of the people in congress want us to invade Iran well what about Iraq and that tragedy that cost us more than anyone can think including those in congress(Shut Up Calif Rep who served in the rear with the gear from Calif your old man was a congressman you kidding me). North Korea has it's nation starving to maintain it's military might because they are afraid of us and our form of life. Well with all these rich I don't blame them but we have to set an example for theses people by showing that we don't become slaves of the industrial giants like their government tells them. When are we going to wake up and realize this is not the early 1900's but a world with instant communication and facts being reported every day to everyone. War is not a solution to mankind's problems but we have to solve our own.
Man, I bet you can sleep like a baby in North Korea. The stars must be amazing.
Unless they're keeping you up all night for weeks on end to "brainwash" you, I'm sure that you can!
The US will look like that if Obama and the EPA get their way!
And you know come to think about it, recall in the 1990s when "Neo-Cons" where up in arms about not "Being the Police of the world" and that we shouldnt be a "Nation of nation builders" yea that did a 180......staying true the the principals right?
Oh 9/11 yeah, gotta love that......gee wonder why the concept of "Police of the world" came from before? national security?...... "Keep them in the dark" makes the population docial and easy to control......even now you guys are hating the bush tax cuts being renewed becase it will possibly make obama look good, and you guys cant stand a democrat in the office, even will compromise your own ideas in lieu of power!
No one much knows what a real Neo-Con is, just that they don't like 'em. Real Neo-cons were intereventionists even back in the 90's. Real conservatives agree with real liberals that intervention militarily should be a last resort.