Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Lynn Chandler
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
(Phone: 301/286-2806)
RELEASE: 02-157
Roughly 438 miles above the Earth, the Moderate Resolution Imaging
Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite
opened its Earth-view door on June 24 and took its first look at our
planet. This event, called "first light," marks a milestone in Earth
observation, allowing scientists to conduct the most comprehensive
daily examination of our planet by combining data from two MODIS
instruments on sister satellites in Earth orbit.
Like its twin flying aboard NASA's Terra satellite -- launched in 1999
-- Aqua MODIS sees almost the entire surface of our planet every day in
36 channels ranging from visible to thermal infrared wavelengths. On a
daily basis, Terra descends across the equator at 10:30 a.m. in every
time zone, while Aqua ascends across the equator at 1:30 p.m. in every
time zone. The different timing of the satellites' pole-to-pole orbits
enables scientists to focus on different aspects of the Earth's climate
system and to see changes within the system during the course of a day.
"With the launch of Aqua," said MODIS Team Leader Vince Salomonson, of
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., "we are able to
observe land, ocean and atmosphere phenomena in the afternoon with Aqua
and in the morning with Terra. This is especially important for
observing rapid, time-varying phenomena like clouds and water vapor."
Data from Aqua MODIS will augment scientists' ability to track wind and
clouds in the polar regions where current weather satellites can't see,
helping meteorologists to better monitor and predict global weather
patterns.
Aqua MODIS data have worldwide applications. The MODIS team is working
with the Global Observation of Forest Cover/Gold-Fire Program and the
World Fire Monitoring Center to provide fire data to the international
community. Team members collaborate with fire monitoring groups in
Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Malaysia, Mexico and Russia.
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20020815aquafirst.html
http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov
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