Lights of Mankind: The Earth at Night As Seen from Space

Celebrating--and understanding--our Earth from space

The Lights of Mankind is the story of how we’ve populated this planet as told through inspiring, panoramic photographs of Earth at night. It showcases unexpected and breathtaking photos made possible by the latest light-sensitive cameras and the newly installed Cupola on the International Space Station—pictures that have already awed hundreds of thousands Space Station fans.

The images, of course, beg explanation. Why did Man settle here and not there? How is this glittering planet powered? The narrative explores the expected and unexpected, telling a story of agriculture, geography, wars, disease, food supply, water supply, politics, politics and power supply. The uncertain sprawl of southern California. The Nile River as it snakes towards the Mediterranean. The grid-like pattern of lights that write the history of the American Midwest. This is the “unintended artwork of human habitation,” as author Keeney writes, artwork we now see first-hand.

Includes first-person perspectives on Earth at night contributed by the astronauts themselves—Don Pettit, Douglas Wheelock, Mario Runco, Jr., Clayton “Clay” Anderson, and Sandra Magnus.