View the full animated gif at www.eijournal.com (Credit: NOAA/NASA (VIIRS/DNB), processed with Black Marble).
As the night closed in on Spain and Portugal on April 28, 2025, polar satellites followed the blackout that lasted well into the early hours of the morning in several regions. While electricity was restored in most of the territory by evening, some areas remained in darkness longer.
Night-time images from NASA’s Suomi-NPP, NOAA-20 and NOAA-21 satellites captured the extent of the blackout and tracked the gradual electricity recovery from orbit.
The images show areas with both sustained power outages and restored light emissions during night-time.
The three satellites circling Earth from pole to pole made six passes over Spain and Portugal between dusk and dawn. Each pass delivered a snapshot of the evolving power grid situation.
