Earth looks stunning as seen from the NOAA-21 | satellite pictures
What can you see in this latest global image of Earth? There are clear turquoise seas around Cuba, an agricultural fire in northern India and, of course, the rest of our planet, as seen in the first full view from the latest observation satellite NOAA Land NOAA-21.
The land The images that make up this mosaic, and some close-ups, were taken on December 5 and 6 by an instrument called the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on board the satellite. that was launched on November 10 from Vandenberg Space Force Base on November 10. (The spaceship was previously known as JPSS-2.) VIIRS collects images in both the visible and infrared light spectrum, allowing scientists to see the details of the Earth’s surface.
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VIIRS provides scientists with vital information about Earth’s oceans, atmosphere and land. It can detect differences in the color of the ocean, telling scientists where phytoplankton is found or whether dangerous algal blooms have formed along human-populated coastlines. Atmospheric data from the instrument can help scientists predict and monitor storm movement.
NOAA-21 is the second operational satellite in a series called the Joint Polar Satellite System, which provides global images from pole to pole. The latest JPSS satellitenow known as NOAA-20, it was launched in November 2017. Previously, the NOAA-NASA Suomi National Polar Orbit Partnership (Suomi-NPP), which provided a blueprint for the JPSS, launched in 2011
The satellites orbit pole to pole, observing the entirety of the Earth’s surface twice a day. It sails 512 miles (824 kilometers) above Earth at 17,000 mph (27,360 km/h) and crosses the equator 14 times a day. And they all carry a VIIRS instrument.
The third JPSS satellite is scheduled for release (opens in a new tab) in 2027, and the fourth not yet (opens in a new tab) have a release date.
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