Earth - Time Lapse video

[the_O]

I found this on Vimeo and thought to myself, “Wow!” It conjures up…something from within.

Thisis a 5:00 time lapse of Earth from International Space Station. Amazing.

[FairyChatMom]

I can’t get over the lightning - very cool!

[Enter_the_Flagon]

Planet Earth to Major Tom, you’re circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong. Can you hear me Major Tom?
Anybody know what that red ribbon is that we cross over around 3:50? I’m almost certain it’s not a bug on the lens.

[panache45]

@Enter_the_Flagon

Planet Earth to Major Tom, you’re circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong. Can you hear me Major Tom?
Anybody know what that red ribbon is that we cross over around 3:50? I’m almost certain it’s not a bug on the lens.

Possibly a lava flow? Any idea where that area is?

[Dr.Strangelove]

@Enter_the_Flagon

Anybody know what that red ribbon is that we cross over around 3:50? I’m almost certain it’s not a bug on the lens.

That was a nice little challenge! Oddly enough, it’s the border between India and Pakistan. You can see it clearly in this quite large nighttime image. There is a bright, thin thread right on the border, and surrounded by darker areas.

You can see it again in the film at about 4:38. According to the text, the two shots correspond to these descriptions:
14. Views of the Mideast at Night
18. Eastern Europe to Southeastern Asia at Night

The second showing made it easier to discover, since it gave a fairly localized path.

Maybe someone else can answer why the border is so well lit.

[Colophon]

@Dr.Strangelove

Maybe someone else can answer why the border is so well lit.

Not why, exactly, but here’s how: if you zoom right in on the border in Google Maps aerial view you can see there is a fence and what appear to be big floodlights spaced at precisely 100-metre intervals (according to the Distance Measurement tool).

And here’s an article explaining it:

The Indian government sanctioned a move to erect floodlights along the terrain separating India and Pakistan in the Gujarat sector in 2003 to prevent smuggling and arms trafficking.
In previous years the border has regularly seen attempts at infiltration by terrorists, as well as the smuggling of arms, ammunition and contraband.
In total, the Indian government hope to cover 1248 miles (2009 km) of the 1800-mile (2900 km) India-Pakistan border with floodlights.
Officials have so far erected floodlights along 286 miles (460 km) of Indian border with the Pakistan state of Punjab.
The extensive floodlighting continues for 635 miles (1022 km) across Rajasthan, 109 miles (176 km) across the Jammu international border, and 125 miles (202 km) through Gujarat.
So far 1156 miles (1861 km) of the border have been floodlit.
Plans are in place to erect a total 1269 miles (2043 km) of fencing along the nation’s border.
The Indian government hope to have completely finished the floodlight operation by March 2012.

[Cartooniverse]

God that’s mesmerizing.