VIIRS sensor on NOAA-21 now collecting new imagery

The Seen and Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the lately launched NOAA-21 satellite began gathering Earth science information from its day-night band (DNB) and its thermal emissive bands (TEB) on Feb. 9, 2023. This comes three months after the satellite launched from Vandenberg House Power Base on Nov. 10, 2022.

Thermal emissive band imaging information has a number of essential purposes: It permits for measurements of sea and land surface temperatures, wildfire depth, and the detection of clouds. This picture, captured on Feb. 9 and Feb. 10 exhibits chilly objects similar to clouds, snow and ice as blue, and heat surfaces similar to deserts in shades of purple.

VIIRS on NOAA-21 additionally began buying information in its distinctive day-night band (DNB) on Feb. 9, 2023. Since its debut on VIIRS on the Suomi Nationwide Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite greater than 10 years in the past, the DNB has revolutionized how we view the Earth from space at night time. The DNB is a singular VIIRS functionality that measures low alerts of mirrored gentle illuminated by the moon at night time and is used for detecting nighttime clouds and fog. Illumination from artifical sources similar to metropolis lights, flaring from pure gasoline wells, and delivery vessels may also be seen through the DNB.

The next picture was created by stitching collectively the orbit swaths collected from Feb. 9–10, 2023. Metropolis lights all around the world are clearly seen on this picture. Clouds which can be illuminated by the moon are seen in shades of white relying upon the opacity and thickness of the cloud cowl. Over Siberia, one can see the aurora borealis (northern lights) as a brilliant streak. Be aware that the south polar area is daytime this time of the 12 months and thus could be very brilliant.