With the development of spaceborne low-light imagers， extremely low-magnitude nocturnal visible radiance can accurately be detected. After accurate radiometric calibration， quantitative applications of satellite-based low-light imager observation data attract particularly increased scientific interest. This investigation systematically summarizes the advances in applications and research of satellite-based low-light imager data in the atmospheric， marine， and environmental sciences at night. First， the development history of satellite-based low-light imager payload is briefly introduced. Subsequently， the typical applications of low-light imager data in the atmospheric， marine， and environmental fields and the corresponding new scientific discoveries are summarized. Finally， considering new scientific objectives， advanced design concepts and application prospects for future satellite-based low-light imagers are proposed and discussed.