North Korea is so secretive you can't even see it from space! Nasa satellite image shows how Kim Jong-un's hermit state is invisible compared to its neighbours
Kim Jong-un runs one of the world’s most secretive societies - so secret that despite it covering 47,000 sq miles, you can’t even see it from space.
This is the extraordinary image of North Korea almost completely in the dark, apart from a small amount of light coming from its capital city Pyongyang.
Lights can clearly be seen in its surrounding countries of Russia, China and South Korea - where the capital Seoul just 35 miles from the border.
The night image from the International Space Station is so clear thanks to the European Space Agency's NightPod, installed there two years ago.
Nasa said it incorporates a motorised tripod that compensates for the station's speed of about 17,500mph and the motion of the Earth below.
Before the NightPod, that motion could blur images - although astronauts compensated with high-speed films and manual tracking.
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Almost invisible: North Korea (the dark area) and South Korea are seen at night in this NASA photograph from the International Space Station
Compared: Lights can clearly be seen in North Korea's surrounding countries of Russia, China and South Korea - where the capital Seoul just 35 miles from the border
On the ground: The North Korean Workers Party Monument in Pyongyang (left) and a night view of Seoul in South Korea (right)
Other side of the world: The Iberian Peninsula at night, showing Spain and Portugal. Madrid is the bright spot just above the centre
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I bet they have a lovely view of the stars in Nort...
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