Free tools · NASA Black Marble, night light
Night light in Ekurhuleni
Night light seen from space, 2025: brightness 16.4 nW/cm²/sr on average, 100% of the land lit. 12% brighter than 2024; 0.6% brighter than 2012.
Night light is the light a satellite sees from space at about 1:30 in the morning: street lights, buildings, mines, factories, harbours and fires. NASA takes out moonlight, haze and stray light, leaves out cloudy nights and sets faint glow to zero. Brightness is the light given off, in nanowatts per square centimetre per steradian (nW/cm²/sr), averaged over the place; “lit” is the share of the land giving off 1 or more, twice the faint glow NASA treats as noise.
What it is not: it cannot tell the grid from solar or a generator, who pays for the light, how many people live there or how well off they are. A load-shedding month mixes dark nights with lit ones, fires and flares can light a month up, and a cloudy month rests on fewer nights.
2025
- 16.4Average brightnessnW/cm²/sr, NASA’s yearly product
- 100%Of the land lit69% bright (5 nW/cm²/sr or more)
- 0.6% brighterAgainst 20122012: 16.4 nW/cm²/sr, 96% lit
2026 so far (10 months, from the monthly figures): brightness 18.5 nW/cm²/sr, 100% lit. NASA’s yearly figure for 2026 comes early next year.
Every year since 2012
Show the numbers
| When or what | Figure |
|---|---|
| 2012 | brightness 16.4 nW/cm²/sr, 96% lit |
| 2013 | brightness 16.5 nW/cm²/sr, 96% lit |
| 2014 | brightness 17.3 nW/cm²/sr, 97% lit |
| 2015 | brightness 17.1 nW/cm²/sr, 98% lit |
| 2016 | brightness 17.2 nW/cm²/sr, 97% lit |
| 2017 | brightness 17.1 nW/cm²/sr, 97% lit |
| 2018 | brightness 17.0 nW/cm²/sr, 97% lit |
| 2019 | brightness 16.8 nW/cm²/sr, 97% lit |
| 2020 | brightness 16.1 nW/cm²/sr, 97% lit |
| 2021 | brightness 15.7 nW/cm²/sr, 98% lit |
| 2022 | brightness 15.1 nW/cm²/sr, 99% lit |
| 2023 | brightness 14.1 nW/cm²/sr, 100% lit |
| 2024 | brightness 14.7 nW/cm²/sr, 100% lit |
| 2025 | brightness 16.4 nW/cm²/sr, 100% lit |
Month by month
Every month since January 2012brightness, nW/cm²/sr
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 17.6 | 18.3 | 21.5 | 19.3 | 15.7 | 17.7 | 19.3 | 17.2 | 19.5 | 19.4 | ||
| 2025 | 15.7 | 15.1 | 14.7 | 14.0 | 16.5 | 16.0 | 16.5 | 17.9 | 17.9 | 16.8 | 21.7 | 16.6 |
| 2024 | 14.4 | 12.4 | 13.6 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.1 | 16.9 | 17.1 | 14.3 | 17.2 | 14.9 | 15.9 |
| 2023 | 14.0 | 13.6 | 14.8 | 14.3 | 13.1 | 14.5 | 13.6 | 15.6 | 14.1 | 13.5 | 13.0 | 15.1 |
| 2022 | 15.0 | 14.0 | 16.3 | 14.5 | 14.6 | 15.0 | 15.3 | 16.5 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 16.1 | 16.0 |
| 2021 | 16.6 | 17.6 | 16.0 | 14.6 | 15.7 | 15.1 | 15.4 | 16.9 | 17.1 | 16.0 | 14.3 | 16.5 |
| 2020 | 15.9 | 17.2 | 16.0 | 15.9 | 15.5 | 15.3 | 16.3 | 16.8 | 15.4 | 16.2 | 17.3 | 18.3 |
| 2019 | 18.5 | 16.2 | 16.2 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 16.7 | 16.1 | 17.6 | 17.5 | 17.3 | 16.4 | 19.2 |
| 2018 | 17.9 | 15.9 | 16.3 | 16.0 | 16.1 | 17.2 | 17.1 | 17.7 | 17.5 | 17.3 | 18.4 | 16.8 |
| 2017 | 16.3 | 17.3 | 16.9 | 17.7 | 17.1 | 17.1 | 17.3 | 17.5 | 17.7 | 16.8 | 17.9 | 15.5 |
| 2016 | 16.7 | 15.3 | 16.6 | 17.7 | 17.4 | 17.1 | 17.4 | 17.5 | 17.7 | 16.9 | 19.0 | 17.3 |
| 2015 | 15.8 | 16.0 | 17.8 | 16.7 | 17.4 | 17.2 | 16.7 | 17.2 | 18.5 | 17.7 | 17.1 | 17.7 |
| 2014 | 17.7 | 15.9 | 16.6 | 17.1 | 16.8 | 16.4 | 17.2 | 18.1 | 17.7 | 18.5 | 18.1 | 17.5 |
| 2013 | 15.5 | 16.3 | 17.1 | 15.8 | 16.2 | 16.7 | 16.4 | 16.6 | 17.9 | 16.9 | 16.5 | 16.7 |
| 2012 | 17.2 | 15.7 | 16.6 | 16.5 | 16.6 | 15.5 | 16.4 | 17.1 | 16.6 | 16.0 | 16.9 | 16.0 |
Hover or tap a month for its lit share, how much NASA filled from earlier months and how many clear nights it rests on. Every figure is also in the API.
Every year
| Year | Brightness (nW/cm²/sr) | Lit | Bright | Filled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16.4 | 100% | 69% | 0% |
| 2024 | 14.7 | 100% | 67% | 0% |
| 2023 | 14.1 | 100% | 66% | 0% |
| 2022 | 15.1 | 99% | 67% | 0% |
| 2021 | 15.7 | 98% | 67% | 0% |
| 2020 | 16.1 | 97% | 67% | 0% |
| 2019 | 16.8 | 97% | 67% | 0% |
| 2018 | 17.0 | 97% | 66% | 0% |
| 2017 | 17.1 | 97% | 66% | 0% |
| 2016 | 17.2 | 97% | 67% | 0% |
| 2015 | 17.1 | 98% | 66% | 0% |
| 2014 | 17.3 | 97% | 66% | 0% |
| 2013 | 16.5 | 96% | 64% | 0% |
| 2012 | 16.4 | 96% | 64% | 0% |
Lit: the share of the land giving off 1 nW/cm²/sr or more. Bright: 5 or more. Filled: the share NASA filled from earlier months for want of a clear night.
Its 112 wards, 2025by ward number
- Ward 118.9, 100% lit
- Ward 235.3, 100% lit
- Ward 341.4, 100% lit
- Ward 444.7, 100% lit
- Ward 545.5, 100% lit
- Ward 642.0, 100% lit
- Ward 751.5, 100% lit
- Ward 823.4, 100% lit
- Ward 946.3, 100% lit
- Ward 1046.8, 100% lit
- Ward 1153.4, 100% lit
- Ward 1236.4, 100% lit
- Ward 1326.3, 100% lit
- Ward 1428.0, 100% lit
- Ward 1519.3, 100% lit
- Ward 1628.6, 100% lit
- Ward 1740.0, 100% lit
- Ward 1831.4, 100% lit
- Ward 1929.4, 100% lit
- Ward 2037.1, 100% lit
- Ward 2122.2, 100% lit
- Ward 2242.2, 100% lit
- Ward 2324.9, 100% lit
- Ward 2416.6, 100% lit
- Ward 256.1, 99% lit
- Ward 2611.9, 100% lit
- Ward 2721.7, 100% lit
- Ward 2828.9, 100% lit
- Ward 2932.2, 100% lit
- Ward 3031.3, 100% lit
- Ward 3114.5, 100% lit
- Ward 3225.7, 100% lit
- Ward 3328.7, 100% lit
- Ward 3411.8, 100% lit
- Ward 3542.3, 100% lit
- Ward 3630.8, 100% lit
- Ward 3729.0, 100% lit
- Ward 3819.5, 100% lit
- Ward 3934.1, 100% lit
- Ward 4021.4, 100% lit
- Ward 4115.9, 100% lit
- Ward 4216.1, 100% lit
- Ward 4315.7, 100% lit
- Ward 4424.2, 100% lit
- Ward 459.3, 100% lit
- Ward 4623.8, 100% lit
- Ward 4726.7, 100% lit
- Ward 4825.1, 100% lit
- Ward 4925.2, 100% lit
- Ward 5034.4, 100% lit
- Ward 5122.0, 100% lit
- Ward 5230.9, 100% lit
- Ward 5310.6, 100% lit
- Ward 5436.3, 100% lit
- Ward 5534.5, 100% lit
- Ward 5636.0, 100% lit
- Ward 5723.5, 100% lit
- Ward 5818.6, 100% lit
- Ward 5931.8, 100% lit
- Ward 6023.1, 100% lit
- Ward 6110.0, 100% lit
- Ward 623.0, 100% lit
- Ward 6327.4, 100% lit
- Ward 6410.1, 100% lit
- Ward 658.5, 100% lit
- Ward 6630.3, 100% lit
- Ward 677.6, 100% lit
- Ward 689.2, 100% lit
- Ward 6927.9, 100% lit
- Ward 7032.5, 100% lit
- Ward 7117.0, 100% lit
- Ward 7210.2, 100% lit
- Ward 7317.0, 100% lit
- Ward 7424.8, 100% lit
- Ward 758.8, 100% lit
- Ward 7610.9, 100% lit
- Ward 7722.1, 100% lit
- Ward 7840.6, 100% lit
- Ward 7932.3, 100% lit
- Ward 8032.8, 100% lit
- Ward 8122.4, 100% lit
- Ward 827.2, 100% lit
- Ward 8339.5, 100% lit
- Ward 8424.0, 100% lit
- Ward 8535.4, 100% lit
- Ward 8628.4, 100% lit
- Ward 8716.7, 100% lit
- Ward 886.4, 99% lit
- Ward 8915.2, 100% lit
- Ward 9025.4, 100% lit
- Ward 9117.4, 100% lit
- Ward 9238.5, 100% lit
- Ward 9319.3, 100% lit
- Ward 9441.6, 100% lit
- Ward 9518.8, 100% lit
- Ward 9618.0, 100% lit
- Ward 9712.7, 100% lit
- Ward 988.9, 100% lit
- Ward 999.2, 100% lit
- Ward 10035.1, 100% lit
- Ward 10113.7, 100% lit
- Ward 10214.7, 100% lit
- Ward 10319.1, 100% lit
- Ward 10420.6, 100% lit
- Ward 10517.6, 100% lit
- Ward 10622.5, 100% lit
- Ward 10717.7, 100% lit
- Ward 10814.3, 100% lit
- Ward 10922.6, 100% lit
- Ward 11020.6, 100% lit
- Ward 1118.7, 100% lit
- Ward 11210.6, 100% lit
Listed by number, not ranked: night light shows where light is, not how people live. Each ward’s page sets it against its own past and its municipality.
Every municipality · Everything we hold for Ekurhuleni
Source
NASA Black Marble night lights, VNP46A3 (monthly) and VNP46A4 (yearly), collection 2, from NASA’s LAADS DAAC (doi:10.5067/VIIRS/VNP46A3.002 and doi:10.5067/VIIRS/VNP46A4.002). The product’s page.
What we changed: we added up NASA’s light over each 2026 ward (each pixel, about 460 m across, split in four and given to the ward holding each quarter) and added the wards up to municipalities, districts and provinces.
The satellite (Suomi NPP) passes at about 1:30 in the morning. NASA’s monthly figure is the mean of the month’s clear nights; a pixel with no clear night is filled from earlier months, and that share is shown. The yearly figure is NASA’s own mean of the year’s clear nights, so it is close to, not exactly, the mean of the twelve months.
Dataset: night light by ward, release 2026-11-13.