Quick Access
Data Access
The local data is managed by the Data Science Research Services. A webapp is available for exploratory analysis. For bulk access please contact DSRS.
Authorized Users
Access is restricted to Gies College of Business faculty and doctoral students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Access Requirements
- • On-campus affiliates only
- • Scholarly use only
- • Not for commercial research
Access Restrictions
- • Not accessible to general public
- • Not accessible to alumni
Dataset Overview
For VIIRS data access or technical assistance, please contact Data Science Research Services (DSRS).
Global Data Coverage
Monthly cloud-free VIIRS Day/Night Band composites from January 2014 to January 2026, covering the entire globe. Data is provided at ~500m per pixel resolution, enabling consistent spatial analysis of nighttime illumination over time.
Cloud-Free Processing
Raw satellite observations are processed to remove clouds, moonlight, stray light, and ephemeral sources such as fires and aurora. The resulting composites provide stable radiance values suitable for temporal comparison. See methodology details at source documentation.
Research Applications
Supports analysis of urban growth, economic activity, infrastructure expansion, and disaster impact through changes in nighttime lights. Integrated with DSRS in-house tools for spatial exploration, time series analysis, and region-level comparisons.
Data Access & Formats
Data is provided as GeoTIFF raster files organized by month and year. Available through DSRS storage and cloud environments, enabling direct integration with Python, GIS tools, and custom analysis pipelines.
Temporal Analysis
Monthly cadence enables time series analysis of nighttime lights, supporting trend detection, seasonal patterns, and event-based studies such as economic shocks or infrastructure development.
Limitations & Considerations
Nighttime light intensity is an indirect proxy and may be affected by saturation, atmospheric conditions, and differences in lighting technologies. Care is needed when comparing across regions or over time.
