The Black Marble = NASA image

[BlunderWoman]

This image is a composite assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite in April and October 2012. I'm wondering why there are so many lights on the eastern half of the United States and not so many on the western half. Does anyone know the answer to this ?

 

[Guitarist]

Eastern areas more densely populated? The west coast is fairly well lit up in the more populated areas.

Time of night -- 3 hours later on the east coast than the west, so more buildings lit up?

 

[BlunderWoman]

Eastern areas more densely populated? The west coast is fairly well lit up in the more populated areas.

Time of night -- 3 hours later on the east coast than the west, so more buildings lit up?

I don't know. They said it was night time all across the U.S. I just find it odd that the lights almost draw a line right down the middle of the U.S. Seems very odd to me.

 

[Guitarist]

Here is a population-density map showing almost the same data as the lights in the photo:

 

[BlunderWoman]

Here is a population-density map showing almost the same data as the lights in the photo:

Wow. What the heck. Now I'm wondering why the east was so much more popular than the west LOL

 

[Guitarist]

Good question!

 

[Wrigley's]

Wow. What the heck. Now I'm wondering why the east was so much more popular than the west LOL

Maybe because, after the gold rush built up a few cities, the gov encouraged western settlement for the purpose of agriculture. Especially on the northern coast and the Calif central valley. Everything else was pretty much desert or already settled by Mexicans.

A few hundred years later we have proof that westerners don't like to move around much