Don’t peek at the answer until you’ve given this a good try! Then, scroll down a bit and the truth will be revealed to you.

(Image Credit: Courtesy Chris Elvidge, U.S. Air Force)

Earth’s eastern seaboard with a rash? A space view of light pollution?

Well, almost. You see, on the evening of Thursday, August 14, 2003, a power failure left many American cities in the dark. Actually, it was the biggest blackout ever in U.S. history. One hundred power plants in a grand loop that ran from New York to Michigan and into Canada, shut down. Although power was restored to some local areas within hours after the blackout, several major cities were left without power overnight. The photo you see above shows the affected areas on August 15th, roughly 7 hours after the blackout. To see the same scene 20 hours before the blackout, check out the photo below. As you compare them, note how the lights in Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, Toronto, and Ottawa are either missing or visibly reduced. Long Island, New York, was also significantly affected; however, Boston was left relatively untouched. Now, if you want to see a similar photograph — but a blackout hoax, go to http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/comments/blackout.html

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