Friday, November 25, 2011

NPP Status Update

Before I wrote about the mission launch on Oct. 28th, soon after the satellite reached it's final orbit.  After review, the satellite passed it initial stages and soon it's instruments were operational.

Earlier Nasa reported that the NPP Satellite had captured it's first hi resolution image on Nov. 21st.
This image was taken by one of the five instruments on board.

Image credit - NASA - http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NPP/news/viirs-firstlight.html 
The one instrument called VIIRS, (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite), which can detect fog at night just by reflected moonlight.  There is word that this may be able to further enhance early warning for fog alerts.  The imaging system will measure cloud and aerosol properties, ocean color, sea and land surface temperature, ice motion, fires and Earth's albedo.  Albedo is the fraction of sunlight reflected by the moon, or also known as moonlight. The NPP satellite is a big step from the satellites used back in the early eighties.

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