NPP Satellite Acquires First VIIRS Image

noaa.gov ^ | Nov. 21, 2011 | NOOA

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Learned about this from my Son, who works for Raytheon the builder of this satellite in El Segundo California.

http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/images/first_viirs_large.jpg

Link to Image which can be enlarged...it will be large.

For those not on fast connections plese be aware of download times of some length.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[cripplecreek]

Cool pic but I guess I don’t see what makes this one different from all the others that exist.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Enlarged Image info----7,844.58 KB (8,032,849 bytes)

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It was just the very first image.......

The Satellite is loaded with a LOT of Sensors....

Including I would suppose CO2 detection....

Also text says temperature sensors....

I'll see what else I can find out....including whteheer there are more planned...

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

NPP - VIIRS integration

Engineers begin integration of the Medium resolution Visible and Infra-red Imager or VIIRS into the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) satellite. NPP is the bridge mission between the Earth Observing System and the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) earth and weather observing fleet of satellites. Credit: NASA/Ball Aerospace

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The first of a fleet of Satellites.....

[wxgesr]

Wow, great resolution....even small scale artifacts can be seen, cloud types, snow on the ground, reefs, etc.

Remote sensing is here.....who needs to pay an old school surface weather observer anymore?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

About NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP)

Understanding, monitoring, and predicting the course of long-term climate change AND short-term weather conditions remain tasks of profound importance. Economic competitiveness, human health and welfare, and global security all depend in part on our ability to understand and adapt to global environmental changes.

Over the last dozen years, NASA has launched a series of satellites – known collectively as the Earth Observing System (EOS) – that has provided critical insights into the dynamics of the entire Earth system: clouds, oceans, vegetation, ice, solid Earth and atmosphere. Now NASA is helping to create a new generation of satellites to extend and improve upon the Earth system data records established by EOS.

The NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) will serve as a bridge between the EOS satellites and the forthcoming series of Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) satellites. NPP represents a critical first step in building this next-generation satellite system. The JPSS satellites, previously called the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS), will be developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

NPP will carry five science instruments and test key technologies for the JPSS missions. NPP is the first satellite mission to address the challenge of acquiring a wide range of land, ocean, and atmospheric measurements for Earth system science while simultaneously preparing to address operational requirements for weather forecasting.

NPP also represents the gateway to the creation of a U.S. climate monitoring system, collecting both climate and operational weather data and continuing key data records that are critical for global change science.

Key science objectives and capabilities of NPP include:

• Climate change -- contribute to long-term records of global environmental data critical for understanding the dynamics of climate change
• Health of the ozone layer -- daily measurements of the atmospheric ozone layer that will determine whether the ozone layer is recovering as expected
• Natural disasters -- monitor wildfires, volcanic eruptions, snowstorms, droughts, floods, hurricanes and dust plumes
• Weather predictions -- a sounding instrument will collect information about cloud cover, atmospheric temperatures, humidity and other variables critical to accurate weather prediction
• Vegetation -- map global land vegetation and quantify changes in plant productivity to understand the global carbon cycle and monitor agricultural processes to predict and respond to food shortages and famines
• Global ice cover -- monitor changes to Earth’s sea ice, land ice and glaciers to track the pace of climate change
• Air pollution -- monitor the spread of health-sapping pollutants such as soot, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide
• Temperatures -- maintain a global record of atmospheric, land surface and sea surface temperatures critical to understanding the long-term dynamics of climate change
• Earth’s energy budget -- make measurements to determine how much energy is entering and exiting Earth's atmosphere

More information about:
› NPP satellite & its instruments →
› bios of our team →

[steelyourfaith]

Thanx for the ping Ernest_at_the_Beach !

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !

[Marine_Uncle]

Thanks Ernest. Let us hope the data sent back to earth from it is used in an honest way.

[Tunehead54]

Earnest,

I know you’re far more knowledgeable on the subject but I do recall and I believe it was a Lord Monckton article where it was noted that 20+ years of satellite data for earth surface temperatures utilizing infrared sensors were “calibrated” using surface thermometer readings as they were not designed to measure surface temperature - a kludge as it were.

That being the case the “calibrations” would be subject to the same “adjustments” that Hansen, CRU, etc. and the AGW crew applied to land-based measurements and thus the satellite data - even the latest may be given inordinate credibility.

Sorry - I’ve searched and not found a reference to Monckton and this claim. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. ;-)

Charlie

[justa-hairyape]

Let us hope the data sent back to earth from it is used in an honest way.

Honesty on Planet Earth ?

That ship sailed a long time ago.

All data must go through the feel good modifiers, the grant support modifiers and the capitalists are bad modifiers.

We should make a law requiring all data like this be made available in raw unmodified format.

We paid for it, right ?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

LOL!

[Marine_Uncle]

RE: "We should make a law requiring all data like this be made available in raw unmodified format. We paid for it, right ?"
Right on. We need a POTUS that will totally understand all the BS that has been taking place with the NASA and associated entities and is willing to get some solid people in from not only the scientific community but elsewhere that have carefully observed what the hell has been going on and restructure the agency to be how should I say "honest".

[justa-hairyape]

The sun has been behaving very strange lately. The raw data itself is getting wacky. Sunspot numbers are at max, but magnetism Ap is very low. The suns polar magnetic field shift on the sun apparently did not happen when it should have. So if they put modifiers on the raw data now, we will never have a clue. Brisbane Australia just had its coldest December summer day ever in recorded history.

Record cold Brisbane Oz Report

November Solar Activity Report – sunspots and 10.7cm radio flux up, but the solar magnetic Ap index crashes

[Marine_Uncle]

JUSTA, I am sure you remember distinctly the last two "second weeks in summer" for the lower Australian continent experiencing the coldest recordings as well as snow falls for the past two consecutive years. Things are definitely changing in the global climate and they are not going to a "ahem gradual global warming cycle".
It is 4:06AM my time. I have to get some sleep. But I am going to book mark this entry for further reading tomorrow if it is HIS will for me to get up.
I'm shot at this point. But I cannot think otherwise.....that the past few years as we read about accumulated record amounts of snow and ice at the southern pole that we are not now experiencing the gradual switch to a mini ice age in both hemispheres and in between. Channel is always open at my end for further verifications.
Both do have a great upcoming day.

[justa-hairyape]

Get some sleep. 2012 is right around the corner. Starting to think those Mayans knew something :> The Pacific is overturning big time right now. Cold upwellings in the Eastern Pacific. We have been very cold here on the West coast. Getting frost warnings in the So Cal valleys. The east coast has been fair because the North Atlantic has not gone into cold mode yet. Florida has been lucky so far, but they will get the usual Late December and January cold blasts. They are coming. Difficult to predict what happens in a solar maximum with weak magnetism. You get more cosmic rays because magnetosphere is weak, but more atmospheric energy because the sun has activity. And some are claiming sunspot size has been decreasing. Would love to see sunspot images from SC 23 compared to SC 24. Tried to find some comparisons last night, but ran out of time. At any rate, just be packing plenty of Coors Lite. Those cold trains are coming.

[Marine_Uncle]

JAHA. I'm tracking the same data and conclusions as you. Thanks. Here in Philly we missed having a foot or more of snow dumped on us yesterday. We stayed above 32F, to just got tons of rain. But the N. Atlantic ain't going to spare us much longer.
Now. RE: "At any rate, just be packing plenty of Coors Lite."
If we get a summer next year.... I will switch from Chianti to Coors Extra Gold Lager. Important stuff... Heheh.

[justa-hairyape]

So what you will be drinking next summer, will depend on the sun. We have progressed very far as a species. From sacrificing humans to the sun gods, to now sacrificing hops and barley. One of these days, we may yet actually get out of this solar system.

[Marine_Uncle]

"So what you will be drinking next summer, will depend on the sun."
Pretty much so. If summer does not represent a typical hot muggy east coast scenario, I may be forced to stay on the wine track. Coors stock will dip a bit. The decisions some of us have to make are enough to make one want to indulge in alcoholic beverages in different forms. Life can get tough.
:)
Looks like the Brits are now freezing their balls off as the huge North Atlantic storm dumps one heck of a lot of ice and snow on them.

[justa-hairyape]

Well, I hope to be drinking Shiner Bock next summer. Getting a little tired of that Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. If you know what I mean.

Western Europe cooling now and eastern Europe will be warmer then normal. If you believe the 0 point for the anomalies. Tonight a spot on Iceland will have a 32 F or more negative temperature anomaly.