SSEC Satellite Imagery: Then and Now Jean M. Phillips, Librarian Space Science & Engineering Center University of Wisconsin-Madison July 2006
What will we talk about? The Father of Satellite Meteorology Applications Technology Satellites (ATS) Spin-Scan camera Images and movies Web sites and books for further study
Father of Satellite Meteorology Verner E. Suomi Inventor of Spin-Scan Camera which allowed continuous viewing of weather from space over a large fraction of Earth’s surface Suomi understood benefits of observing single weather events at frequent intervals
ATS-I Spacecraft: 1966 ATS-III Spacecraft: 1967 From: The Applications Technology Satellite Meteorological Data Catalog: Volume I)The Applications Technology Satellite Meteorological Data Catalog: Volume I
Spin-Scan Camera From: The Applications Technology Satellite Meteorological Data Catalog: VolumeThe Applications Technology Satellite Meteorological Data Catalog: Volume
How did it work? Suomi used the spin of the satellite to scan the earth – 2400 satellite revolutions needed to produce one Earth image The camera scanned a small strip of the Earth with each rotation, tilting slightly for the next rotation (or line of the picture) One Earth image created every 20 minutes
Why is it important to know what the weather will do?
18 November 1967 movie The first full day of good, color pictures from the ATS-III
How we view satellite images today /animation/goeseastvis.html /animation/goeseastvis.html
Satellite Books and Web Sites Cobb, Allan B. Weather Observation Satellites. Rosen Publishing, (Grades 5-8) Knapp, Brian J. What satellites see. Grolier, Satellite meteorology for grades CIMSS, UW-Madison: Satellites: An historical look at each civilian weather satellite launched by the United States. Florida State University: Satellites and space. NOAA: How do you make a weather satellite? NASA, NOAA: t.pdf t.pdf