Astronaut’s Before-and-After Photos Show How Cities Switched From Orange to White Light

Space
Matt Growcoot
A side-by-side comparison of a city at night, showing the same area illuminated by warm, orange-toned sodium lights on the left and cooler, blue-toned LED lights on the right.
Miami in 2012 lit by sodium vapor, left, and in 2025, lit by multi-colored LEDs. | Photos by Don Pettit / NASA

Over the past 15 years, cities at night around the world have undergone a transformation: instead of being bathed in warm, orange sodium vapor light, they’re now lit up by brighter, white LED lights.

NASA astronaut and photographer Don Pettit, who has been living on and off at the International Space Station since 2002, has documented this transition and recently shared a series of photos that starkly demonstrate what that change looks like from space.

“I have spent 23 years documenting the global LED transition of city lighting from space,” Pettit, who took some of the early photos on film cameras, writes on X.

“Across my four missions to the ISS, I have photographed every major city on Earth, building a data set of the gradual replacement of sodium vapor lighting with LEDs.”

A satellite view of a brightly lit urban area at night, showing a dense grid of city lights along a dark coastline.
12
Chicago 2003
A satellite view of a brightly lit city at night, surrounded by smaller clusters of light against a dark background.
12
Mexico City 2003
A nighttime aerial view of a sprawling city, showing a dense network of bright yellow and white street lights against a dark background.
12
Sao Paulo, Brazil 2003

Pettit explains that the “warmer, yellow-orange of gas discharge lamps has been phased out worldwide to multi-colored LEDs, citing energy savings and environmental reasons.”

“Widespread adoption has markedly changed the way our cities look from orbit, and as many have pointed out, how they feel to those on the ground,” he adds.

An aerial night view of a brightly lit city, showing a network of illuminated roads and buildings against a dark background.
12
Seoul, South Korea 2011
An aerial night view of a city grid illuminated by streetlights, showing a dense cluster of lights surrounded by darkness.
12
Las Vegas, 2012
A satellite view of a city at night, showing a dense cluster of golden and white lights against a black background.
12
Monterrey, Mexico, 2003

As Pettit’s images show, these huge metropolitan areas have a very different nighttime glow in the 2020s; the only exception is Hong Kong (below), which shows the special administrative region maintaining its sodium vapor lighting, while nearby Shenzhen has burst into LED light.

A satellite view of a cluster of city lights at night, showing interconnected urban areas against a dark background.
12
Hong Kong Bay Area, China, 2003

The change from sodium-vapor streetlights to LEDs across the world was mainly driven by cost: LEDs are cheaper to run and easier to control.

However, many photographers have lamented the loss of sodium vapor lights, believing the warmer sodium vapor lighting just looks better on camera. Drive, a 2011 film that was shot mostly at night on the streets of L.A., was one of the last movies shot under the orange-yellow hue. Had the film been shot any later, it would have lost much of its charm and atmosphere.

Sodium lamps take time to warm up and reach full brightness, whereas LED lights turn on and off instantly. The LED lights initially brought to cities like L.A. had a color temperature of around 4,000K, leading to complaints from locals who said they were too clinical and reminded them of a hospital or prison. In L.A. and other cities, officials have warmed the LED lights to more like 3,000K.

Affiliate Disclosure PetaPixel articles may include affiliate links; we may earn a commission if you buy through one.

,
Love PetaPixel? Unlock Premium Perks.
Related Articles
A long-exposure image taken from the International Space Station shows the Earth at night with vibrant streaks of aurora borealis in green and red. The blurred lights of cities contrast against the dark expanse of space. Astronaut Captures North America Whizzing Past and Auroras on the Horizon
A city is illuminated at night, with bright lights outlining roads and neighborhoods, seen from above against a dark background. The city center appears brightest, with networks of lights branching outward. Astronaut Don Pettit Photographs Mecca’s Sacred Mosque Shining From Space
A view of the Earth's horizon from space, featuring a vivid display of red and green auroras. Parts of a space station, including solar panels, are visible against the backdrop of the glowing atmosphere. NASA Astronaut Don Pettit Rings in the New Year with Amazing Aurora Photo Captured in Space
A split image: on the left, a close-up of a colorful crystal formation viewed through a magnifying lens; on the right, a person works with scientific equipment in a laboratory filled with tools and devices. NASA Astronaut Don Pettit Uses His Camera for Science in Space
Discussion