City lights outline southern Japan from Fukuoka to Tokyo

iss073e0824492 (Sept. 14, 2025) --- In this oblique view from the International Space Station, city lights outline southern Japan from Fukuoka (top right) to Tokyo (bottom right) with a red-yellow airglow blanketing Earth's horizon. This natural glow is produced when solar ultraviolet radiation excites oxygen molecules in the upper atmosphere during the day, which then release that energy as visible light at night. The orbital outpost was soaring 261 miles above the East China Sea at approximately 1:45 a.m. local time when this photograph was taken.