Mapping Humanity From Space: NASA’s Black Marble with Dr. Miguel Román

How can a weather satellite see Ramadan, Christmas and a blackout? Dr. Miguel Román joins Krishna Choudhary to explain NASA's Black Marble: nightly maps of the lights on Earth, from a single band on the VIIRS instrument, processed to account for moonlight, airglow, clouds and atmospheric effects. It began as a calibration job on a brand-new satellite and an "anomaly" that followed the lunar calendar. Román traces how a small NASA team turned it into open data now used for energy access, disaster response and urban growth: Puerto Rico before and after Hurricane Maria, why LEDs can make satellite maps look darker, the 30-meter Black Marble HD, and a John Deere tractor seen from space. Recorded in Washington, D.C., on September 28, 2026, before the Golden Goose Awards ceremony. Román is Deputy Director for Atmospheres and Data Systems at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and a member of the Black Marble team, recognized with a 2026 Golden Goose Award. Part of our Golden Goose series. CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open: three moments from the interview 00:49 A NASA intern's question and a new weather satellite 02:38 Calibrating the night band: the Moon and the desert 04:09 The anomaly: Ramadan se…