VIIRS/JPSS2 Day-Night Band: NRT 750m Swath Radiance

Near Real Time data from the VIIRS panchromatic Day-Night Band (DNB) sensor provides calibrated radiance measurements. Its spectral wavelength ranges from 0.5 µm to 0.9 µm, facilitating observation of night lights and reflected solar/lunar illumination across a large dynamic range. The sensor attempts to maintain a nearly constant 750-meter spatial resolution across its 3060 km orbital swath, though data quality is affected by stray-light, lunar illuminance, twilight, and clouds.

Use Cases

• Mapping urban light pollution and energy use based on calibrated night-time radiance.
• Monitoring disaster impacts (e.g., power outages after storms) using changes in nocturnal illumination.
• Studying human settlement dynamics and economic activity from persistent night light signatures.
• Correcting for atmospheric and lunar noise in low-light satellite imagery for environmental monitoring.

Strengths

• Provides near real-time (NRT) data delivery for time-sensitive applications.
• Offers a large dynamic range suitable for measuring illumination from a quarter moon to brightest daylight.
• Maintains a consistent 750-meter spatial resolution at nadir across a 3060 km swath.

Limitations

• Data quality is affected by multiple noise sources including stray-light, lunar illuminance, twilight, and clouds.
• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided in the available metadata.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between sources (2026-04-09 vs 2025-04-13).

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected by the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) sensor on the JPSS2 satellite.

Freshness

Last updated dates conflict: 2026-04-09 (datagov) and 2025-04-13 (nasa_earthdata).

Geography

Global coverage from a 3060 km orbital swath.