![IDL TIFF file NASA Holiday Lights](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/nasa-christmas-holiday-lights.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
The holiday lights on your roof are so bright they’re visible from space.
NASA said Tuesday that data from a polar-orbiting satellite, in partnership with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, shows how cities’ nighttime lights change during the holiday season. From Black Friday until New Year’s, city lights are about 20 to 50% brighter than other times of the year.
“It’s a near ubiquitous signal. Despite being ethnically and religiously diverse, we found that the U.S. experiences a holiday increase that is present across most urban communities,” said Miguel Román, a research physical scientists at NASA Goddard who co-led the research. “These lighting patterns are tracking a national shared tradition.”
PHOTOS: 20 Breathtaking Images of Earth From Space
![Satellite Image of The Citadel, Aleppo, Syria Aleppo, Syria](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/aleppo.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Belfast, Northern Ireland](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/belfast.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![{
bandList =
[
4;
3;
2;
]
} Colorado River](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/colorado.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Cuanza River, Angola](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/angola.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Doha, Qatar](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/qatar.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Dunalley, Australia](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/dunalley-fires.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Great Barrier Reef](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-barrier-reef.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Gwadar coast, Pakistan](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/pakistan.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Croatia](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/heart-island.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Hong Kong, China](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/hong-kong.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Manam Volcano](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/manam-volcano.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Namib Desert, Namibia](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/namibia.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Satellite Image of Mount Vesuvius, Naples, Italy Mount Vesuvius](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/mt-vesuvius.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Niger](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/niger.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Schooner Cays, Bahamas](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/schooner-cays.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Sochi, Russia](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/sochi.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Near the city of Sur, Oman](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/oman.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Valencia, Spain](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/valencia.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Versailles, France](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/versailles.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Xi'an, China](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/xian.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
Researchers also took a look at holiday lights during the holy month of Ramadan in the Middle East, where nighttime lights shine up to 50% brighter. Scientists discovered some cities were lit more heavily throughout the region, which they attributed to political or cultural differences.
“Even within majority Muslim populations, there are a lot of variations,” said Eleanor Stokes, a graduate fellow at NASA. “What we’ve seen is that these lighting patterns track cultural variation within the Middle East.”
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Breaking Down the 2024 Election Calendar
- How Nayib Bukele’s ‘Iron Fist’ Has Transformed El Salvador
- What if Ultra-Processed Foods Aren’t as Bad as You Think?
- How Ukraine Beat Russia in the Battle of the Black Sea
- Long COVID Looks Different in Kids
- How Project 2025 Would Jeopardize Americans’ Health
- What a $129 Frying Pan Says About America’s Eating Habits
- The 32 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2024
Contact us at letters@time.com