Tokyo, Japan

An image that reminds of the opening scene of the manga film classic Akira, this futuristic night-time shot of the capital of Japan was taken in 2012 from the International Space Station. Tokyoâs sprawling metropolis is illuminated by streetlights emitting the characteristic blue hue of Asian cities. The brightest white lights in the city centre show a large black spot where the Imperial palace and garden take up a large part of Chiyoda ward.

The bright lights are made more remarkable by the blackness of Tokyo bay where lights from boats reveal the only sign of human presence. More than 13 million inhabitants live in the Tokyo prefecture spreading out over 2000 km2, but they have not started living in Tokyo bay, yet. ESAâs Nightpod camera aid helps astronauts track objects on Earth from the International Space Station. Following Earthâs motion automatically, the tripod creates clear images in low lights with off-the-shelf professional cameras â 400 km above our planet in space.

Credit: ESA/NASA

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NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

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