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Viewing the Earth from space can teach us many things. Satellites are able to take pictures of our planet at night, as well as in daylight. At night, the lights of big cities shine brightly enough to be seen in satellite photos. Such pictures can tell us which places on Earth are most populated.

Mission: Learn how satellites help us see the Earth in important ways.



Experiment 1:

Step 1.
Look at the "Dark Sky" map of the United States at night.

Step 2.
Now look at the map of the United States.

Step 3.
Locate Montana on the map of the United States.

Step 4.
Now locate Montana on the "Dark Sky" map.

Step 5.
Repeat steps 1-4 for California.

Step 6.
Which state is brighter? Montana or California?

Montana & California
 Dark Sky Map

Theorize:

A. On the "Dark Sky" map, which area of the United States is the brightest? Least bright? Why?

B. What do bright areas on the "Dark Sky" map represent?

C. C. How could we minimize the bright areas on Earth as seen from space?

USA Map

Exploring Space MOR


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