The description from this fascinating video is:

As part of the Saturday Morning Science program by Don Pettit during Expedition 6 to the International Space Station, his video “Cities at Night; an Orbital Tour Around the World” is a video made from digital still images. This video was made for educational presentations.

You can see an entire overview of the Cities at Night project here.

Frankly, as cool as the cities look from space, what I find most amazing is how they actually took these photos! Those freaking astronauts are improvisational geniuses! Don Pettit built and installed a “barn-door tracker” - from spare parts no less - to enable him to take nighttime photographs from the International Space Station.
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