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国际空间站俯瞰美国中西部:黎明前的城市灯火画卷

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在距离地面 259 英里(约 417 公里)的轨道上,国际空间站(ISS)以约每 90 分钟绕地球一圈的速度高速飞行。2026 年 10 月 18 日,黎明前约两小时,加拿大航天局(CSA)宇航员 Joshua Kutryk 从空间站穹顶舱(Cupola)按下快门,记录下美国中西部至东海岸绵延数千公里的城市灯火。这张照片近日由 NASA 官网发布,画面中芝加哥、底特律和纽约都会区的光源群清晰可辨,构成一幅罕见的跨时区夜景画卷。

一张照片背后的地球观测价值

城市夜景影像远不止"好看"这么简单。从轨道高度俯瞰的城市灯光分布,是研究城市化进程、人口密度、能源消耗乃至光污染的直观数据源。美国中西部是该国道走廊的核心地带,芝加哥—底特律—纽约一线串联起五大湖工业区与美国东北部大西洋沿岸城市群,灯光的疏密变化直观反映了经济活动的地理梯度:五大湖沿岸光带密集,而阿巴拉契亚山区则呈现明显的暗区过渡。

对科研人员而言,此类宇航员手持摄影影像与卫星遥感数据形成互补。相比装备固定传感器的对地观测卫星,宇航员可以根据云层、角度和光照条件灵活选择拍摄时机,获取高分辨率、特定视角的影像。NASA 的"宇航员地球摄影"(EarthKAM 等项目)数据库长期积累此类图像,服务于夜间灯光研究、城市热岛分析和灾害评估等多个方向。

【关键数据】

- 拍摄高度: 259 英里(约 417 公里)

- 拍摄时间: 2026 年 10 月 18 日,日出前约两小时

- 可见主要城市: 芝加哥、底特律、纽约都会区(单一画面覆盖三大城市群)

- 摄影师: 加拿大航天局宇航员 Joshua Kutryk

- 轨道周期: 国际空间站约 90 分钟绕地球一圈

国际空间站拍摄的美国中西部城市灯光

轨道摄影:空间站的“副业”正成为科学资产

国际空间站运行至今已超过 25 年,累计产出的宇航员对地摄影影像数以百万计。这些图像经过编目和地理定位后进入公共数据库,向全球科研机构与公众开放。夜间影像在其中占比不高但价值突出——地球夜间灯光数据长期以来主要依赖 Suomi NPP 等极轨卫星的 VIIRS 传感器,其空间分辨率约为数百米,而空间站长焦镜头拍摄的影像可以精细到城市街区级别,两者结合能够显著提升夜间经济活动监测的精度。

此次拍摄者 Joshua Kutryk 来自加拿大航天局,是国际空间站长期多国轮换驻留机制的参与者之一。当前空间站上美、俄、欧、日、加各方宇航员共同执行科学实验与对地观测任务,穹顶舱作为专用观测窗口,几乎每一期驻留任务都会产出大量兼具科学与传播价值的影像作品。这张中西部夜景图发布后,也在社交平台引发不少关注,被视为透视美国人口地理格局的生动教材。

从灯光看格局:轨道视角的长期意义

从更长的周期看,同类影像的时间序列正在形成独特的城市研究资产。对比十年前后的同角度夜景,可以观察到城市群的扩张方向、产业衰落地区的灯光衰减(如传统锈带城市)以及新兴枢纽的亮度跃升。这类数据已被用于评估电力基础设施覆盖、估算区域 GDP 分布,甚至辅助人道主义机构判断偏远地区人口活动状况。

在国际空间站逐步走向商业化运营、多个商业空间站项目推进的当下,宇航员对地观测的可持续性也成为议题之一。无论平台如何更替,从 400 公里高空凝视人类文明灯光的传统,仍将持续为地球科学提供不可替代的视角。


出处:Midwestern City Lights

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Major urban areas visible in the photograph include Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; and the New York metropolitan region. The International Space Station was orbiting 259 miles above Earth when this photograph was taken. Image credit: CSA/Joshua Kutryk Was this page helpful? ×
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