Optimized Performance Parameters for Nighttime Multispectral Satellite Imagery to Analyze Lightings in Urban Areas

Abstract

Contrary to its daytime counterpart, nighttime visible and near infrared (VIS/NIR) satellite imagery is limited in both spectral and spatial resolution. Nevertheless, the relevance of such systems is unquestioned with applications to, e.g., examine urban areas, derive light pollution, and estimate energy consumption. To determine optimal spectral bands together with required radiometric and spatial resolution, at-sensor radiances are simulated based on combinations of lamp spectra with typical luminances according to lighting standards, surface reflectances, and radiative transfers for the consideration of atmospheric effects. Various band combinations are evaluated for their ability to differentiate between lighting types and to estimate the important lighting parameters: efficacy to produce visible light, percentage of emissions attributable to the blue part of the spectrum, and assessment of the perceived color of radiation sources. The selected bands are located in the green, blue, yellow-orange, near infrared, and red parts of the spectrum and include one panchromatic band. However, these nighttime bands tailored to artificial light emissions differ significantly from the typical daytime bands focusing on surface reflectances. Compared to existing or proposed nighttime or daytime satellites, the recommended characteristics improve, e.g., classification of lighting types by >10%. The simulations illustrate the feasible improvements in nocturnal VIS/NIR remote sensing which will lead to advanced applications.

The Potential of Moonlight Remote Sensing: A Systematic Assessment with Multi-Source Nightlight Remote Sensing Data

“…Our findings further support calls for a newer generation of nightlight sensors [58,59], but also strongly suggest that attention should be paid to detecting reflected moonlight from land surface outside of urban areas. With advanced low light detecting capabilities, these sensors will help to fill the observation gaps on the night side of a full orbit cycle for optical satellites.…”

“…Additionally, IR bands are also needed to detect sodium vapor emission lines [57]. Combining the current experience of lightings in urban areas [58], the perspective of light pollution [59] and this study, the settings of a new generation of nightlight satellite mission should contain at least four-color channels in the visible light band (at 383-503, 493-619, 568-584, and 797-833 nm), and an additional ~10 µm thermal infrared band for cloud and fire detection.…”

Environmental risks from artificial nighttime lighting widespread and increasing across Europe

“…It will be important to monitor these changes. While systematic, high-resolution multispectral nighttime satellite imagery remains the ideal (and proposals and initial attempts to produce this have been made) (48)(49)(50), in the absence of such data at present composite color [red-green-blue (RGB)], images from the ISS represent a unique resource for monitoring and mapping environmental risks due to ALAN.…”

Multiple Angle Observations Would Benefit Visible Band Remote Sensing Using Night Lights

“…Multi-angle imagery contains information about the light types, since different types have different upward angular radiance distributions (Figure S1 in Supporting Information S1). This complements multi-spectral imagery, which is also important in this context (De Meester & Storch, 2020;Elvidge et al, 2007;Sánchez de Miguel et al, 2019). Furthermore, since lighting practice varies at both continental (Falchi et al, 2019) and local (C. Kyba et al, 2021) scale, better understanding of lighting character based on multi-angle views stands to benefit all of the remote sensing applications based on night lights, such as estimating population or GDP (Gibson et al, 2020).…”