AN astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS) managed to capture an extraordinary night view of Earth on March 19, 2025. The photo shows a combination of sparkling city lights on the Florida Peninsula, the Caribbean and Central America with the stunning reflection of moonlight on the sea surface.
Clusters of bright lights mark major population centers, such as the Miami to Fort Lauderdale corridor on Florida’s southeastern coast, the Tampa–St. Petersburg, as well as the Orlando metropolitan area. Smaller but clear light patterns were also seen marking the Florida Keys, Nassau in the Bahamas, and Havana in Cuba.
The Rare ‘Moonglint’ Phenomenon
What makes this photo special is the presence of moonglint, namely the reflection of moonlight on the surface of the water. Similar to sunglint (sun reflection) during the day, this phenomenon occurs when moonlight reflects off the sea surface at just the right angle to reach the observer’s eyes.
When the photo was taken, the moon was in the waning phase with approximately 78% illumination. This light is bright enough to produce concentrated reflections along the ocean, especially near the Florida Keys and Cuba.
The astronaut took this photo using a Nikon Z9 digital camera with a 28 millimeter lens. This wide viewing angle provides a perspective similar to the human eye, allowing us to see the curvature of the planet emphasized by a thin layer of faint green called airglow along the horizon.
More Than Just Visual Beauty
Taken from a height of about 400 kilometers above Earth, nighttime images like this have high scientific value. Scientists use observations like this to study city growth, energy consumption and light pollution. This photo is important data for tracking how human activities intersect with the natural environment.
The presence of moonglints is particularly beneficial for researchers. The reflection of moonlight in the ocean helps scientists study sea surface conditions, such as wave patterns and water roughness at night. This data is then combined with other sources to improve climate and environmental research models and understand interactions between the ocean and atmosphere in more depth. (Space/Z-2)