| As the maps provided by NASA were in a different projection as the one required by Google Maps, the library was used for the conversion | The daylight images provided by Google Maps maps and satellite views are also available for reference |
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| Further information can be obtained from the Earth Observatory article , and website | The main image of the Earth at night 2012 was captured by using the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership Suomi NPP satellite |
The detailed images of the cities were taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
13| Two versions of the images are available:• The interior jungles of Africa and South America are mostly dark | 970 images, the map from 2012 comprises 349 |
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| Deserts in Africa, Arabia, Australia, Mongolia, and the United States are poorly lit as well except along the coast and rivers , along with the boreal forests of Canada and Russia, and the great mountains of the Himalaya | The brightest areas of the Earth are the most urbanized, but not necessarily the most populated compare western Europe with China and India |
Some regions remain thinly populated and unlit.