Berlin at night

Image of German capital Berlin at night, captured by ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer on board the International Space Station. Matthias posted this image to his social media channels on 19 January 2022 with the caption: "These are two photo premieres for me: my first picture of Germany and my first nighttime shot! The perfect opportunity to show you our beautiful capital Berlin I think night photos of Earth are something very special. On the one hand it's fascinating to see our planet with all its lights from above and identify different cities. On the other hand, it highlights the light pollution that can disrupt the natural patterns of wildlife, affect the climate and obscure views of the night sky. Citizen science project @citiesatnightiss uses photos like these that astronauts take from the International Space Station to study the evolution of light pollution and identify where lighting could be improved. Take a look at Cities at Night"

Visit the Cosmic Kiss mission page to learn more about Matthias’s mission.