Delhi among World’s brightest cities in stunning night time images from ISS

The International Space Station (ISS) has unveiled breathtaking nighttime photographs of major global cities, with Delhi standing out as one of the most striking and illuminated urban landscapes on Earth. The images, captured from orbit after sunset, reveal how some of the world’s largest metropolitan regions glow vividly against the darkness of space showcasing human presence and urban growth on a planetary scale.

One of the standout visuals features India’s National Capital Territory, Delhi, which appears as a brilliantly lit sprawl with well-defined light clusters and networks of roads forming a clear pattern. According to the alt text released with the image, Delhi is home to nearly 34.67 million people making it the second-largest metropolitan area in the world after Tokyo. The ISS image powerfully illustrates this vast scale, with Delhi’s bright lights visible across a large stretch of land.

Delhi is clearly visible with its light network and Yamuna River split. Singapore is separated from Johor Bahru (Malaysia) by the Johor Strait. Tokyo (Japan) is captured along Tokyo Bay, showing the vast metro region. São Paulo (Brazil) one of South America’s brightest cityscapes.

Providing further details, the ISS noted that the image was captured at approximately 10:54 pm local time and clearly shows the city split by the Yamuna River. One notable highlight is the bright rectangular patch near the right-centre identified as the Indira Gandhi International Airport, one of South Asia’s busiest aviation hubs. The photograph not only captures Delhi’s glow but also reveals key landmarks visible from orbit, emphasizing the city’s geographic and infrastructural prominence.

To place Delhi in a global context, the ISS also released nighttime images of other major cities. Singapore was shown separated from Malaysia’s Johor Bahru by the Johor Strait, while Japan’s capital region appeared vividly illuminated along Tokyo Bay. Together, these visuals portrayed how large urban centres across continents stand out as luminous hotspots from space. The ISS remarked that Delhi, Singapore, Tokyo, and São Paulo are among the most radiant and recognisable cities seen from orbit.

Alongside the release of the images, the ISS marked a historic achievement 25 years of continuous human presence in space, completed on November 2, 2025. The station’s concept was developed between 1984 and 1993, with crucial contributions from the United States, Japan, Canada, and European partners. Human occupancy began on November 2, 2000, when the Expedition 1 crew NASA astronaut William Shepherd and Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev arrived aboard the station after launching from Kazakhstan.

Since then, the ISS has hosted nearly 300 visitors from 26 countries and supported thousands of scientific experiments aimed at improving life on Earth and preparing for future deep-space missions to the Moon and Mars. Today, the ISS remains a powerful symbol of international cooperation and scientific exploration and its latest photographs remind us how humanity continues to shine, even from space.

The International Space Station (ISS) is the world’s largest orbiting laboratory, circling Earth about 16 times a day at an altitude of nearly 400 km. Built through global collaboration, it has hosted astronauts continuously for 25 years, supporting thousands of scientific experiments in space. The ISS remains a symbol of international partnership and a testbed for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

Bright city lights disrupt the natural day-night rhythm of animals, affecting their sleep, breeding and migration patterns. Birds and insects become disoriented, while nocturnal animals like bats avoid lit areas and lose their habitats. Over time, light pollution can disturb entire ecosystems near urban regions.