North Korea could be described as mysterious and secretive, but a new NASA photograph shows just how dark that nation looks from space.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) recently snapped a new photo of the Korean Pennesula. In the image, North Korea is nearly completely dark, especially when compared to the bright lights in the south, as well as China. Coastal areas, normally bright in most countries, are nearly invisible in the new image of North Korea.
"The darkened land appears as if it were a patch of water joining the Yellow Sea to the Sea of Japan. The capital city, Pyongyang, appears like a small island, despite a population of 3.26 million (as of 2008). The light emission from Pyongyang is equivalent to the smaller towns in South Korea," NASA wrote in the statement accompanying the image.
The photo was taken on 30 January, as the ISS orbited over eastern Asia.
Nighttime photos of the Earth can often reveal details about the way humans are spread over the planet, as well as economic conditions. Wealthier nations have more lights, easily visible from space.
Residents of the secretive Communist north use just 739 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity each year per person. This is about the same amount of electricity used by residents of Zimbabwe or Morocco. South Koreans consume an average of 10,162 kWh over the same period. This is nearly 14 times as much usage per person in the south than the north. Americans use more than 13,000 kWh of electricity each year per capita.
Until the mid-1990's, North Korea was importing fuel from first the Soviet Union, later Russia. Since oil supplies were shut down, the isolationist nation has plunged into darkness.
The government of North Korea has repeatedly refused offers of fuel and food aide in exchange to renounce plans to construct nuclear weapons. Several detonations have taken place in the nation since 2006. Each of these blasts have been smaller than the weapons which ended the Second World War.
China is one of the few nations which enjoys relations with the nation. Darkened streets keep people at home, limiting social interaction and communication.
The new photograph was taken by a crew member on Expedition 38 aboard the International Space Station.
Twelve years ago, a similar image of the Korean Peninsula was publicized by then-Defense Secratary Donald Rumsfeld. The similarities between the pictures shows how little the authoritarian nation has developed since 2002. Still, the night skies there must be beautiful.
