The United States at night as recorded with DMSP. Can you find your location ? Raton is 1 yellow pixel in this image taken 12/19/2004. The DMSP OLS (operational line system) includes a low-light level telescope equiped with a photomultiplier tube with a spectral response of 4700 to 9500 Angstroms. The scope is sampled at a rate to give a circular footprint of 0.5 km. [Although not addressed - the light is most probably split with a blue/red dichroic beamsplitter giving a 2-channel system.] These signals are displayed with blue for high sunlight clouds, yellow as manmade lights and moonlight clouds; and gray/red added for surface elevations/outlines.
The Aqua satellite MODIS tri-band infrared imager operating at 8.5, 11.0, and 12.0 microns identifies liquid and ice particles based on size; not temperature. This image shows contrails above a cloud background over Iraq on 3/09/2003. |
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The DMSP SSM/I multichannel thermal radiometer images the NE Pacific at 85 GHz on 12/21/2004. This wavelength is in the deep thermal infrared around 16 microns. This is the same 5-orbit stitch as the image below. |
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DMSP SSM/I ocean surface wind speed derived from brightness temperature measurements at 19.35, 22.235, 37.0, and 85.5 GHz passive microwave radiometers. 19 GHz footprint is 43 by 69 km, and 85 GHz footprint is 13 by 15 km. White or light blue is 4 knots, blue is 10, green is 15, yellow is 19, orange is 23, red is 28, magenta is 36; and black is 42+ kts. Image taken over 5 orbital passes on 12/21/2004. |
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