Javascript is currently disabled on this computer. Without javascript, many display enhancements do not work; however, all content should be fully visible and accessible.

NOAA-20 First Light Images

ATMS
CrIS
VIIRS
OMPS

NOAA-20 ATMS First Light Image, 29 November 2017

NOAA-20 ATMS First Light Image - Eleven days after JPSS-1 (NOAA-20) launched into Earth orbit, the satellite sent back its first Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) science data on November 29, 2017.
This image uses ATMS data to depict the location and abundance of water vapor (as associated with antenna temperatures) in the lower atmosphere, from the surface of the Earth to 5 kilometers altitude. Grey colors depict areas with less water vapor, blue-green and purple colors represent abundant water in all phases in low and middle latitudes. In the polar regions, purple depicts surface snow and ice.

Thanks and credit: STAR ATMS SDR Team. Click images to enlarge.

This ATMS image is the brightness temperature of channel 18 at 183.31 ± 7GHz. The image depicts the location and abundance of water vapor in the lower atmosphere, from the surface to 5 kilometers altitude. Reds depict areas with less water vapor, while blues represent abundant water in all phases (vapor, clouds, and precipitation) in low and middle latitudes. In the polar regions, blue depicts surface snow and ice.

Thanks and credit: STAR ATMS SDR Team. Click images to enlarge.

MiRS NOAA-20/ATMS Temperature at 700mb, 16 January 2018

Thes image shown is a map of atmospheric temperature at 700 millibars, approximately 3000 meters (10,000 feet), over the globe on January 16, 2018.

Thanks and credit: STAR MiRS EDR Team. Click images to enlarge.

MiRS NOAA-20/ATMS Temperature at 700mb, 11 January 2018

MIRS caught the strong temp swing over North America - These two images are the 700 mb temperature over North America on both January 16 and January 11, 2018. The most notable feature on January 16 over North America is the contrast between the extremely warm temperatures in northwestern Canada with the extreme cold, associated with a sharp dip in the jet stream over the US Midwest. The difference in temperature between the two features is more than 30 degrees Celsius. Surface temperature observations confirm this extreme contrast: in Calgary, Alberta, the afternoon high temperature was 45°F on January 16th, whereas just five days earlier the afternoon high was only -15°F. In Nashville, Tennessee the opposite fluctuation occurred: on January 11th the high was a mere 17°F but five days later had reached 69°F. This pattern reversal is indicated in the NOAA-20 imagery, which shows the warmth focused in the eastern US, and sharply colder arctic air moving south into west-central Canada. Thanks and credit: STAR MiRS EDR Team. Click images to enlarge.

NOAA-20 CrIS First Light Image, 5 January 2018

NOAA-20 CrIS First Light Image - Forty-eight days after JPSS-1 (NOAA-20) was launched into Earth orbit, it sent back its first Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) science data.
This image shows the global brightness temperature distribution at day time in one of the CrIS water vapor channels at 1598.75 cm^-1. This channel is sensitive to water vapor amount around 500 hPa, and to mid- to high-level clouds. Dark blue colors in the image represent liquid water and ice clouds. Yellows indicate that the radiation is from the warm Earth's surface, or a dry layer in the middle troposphere. The image captured the blizzard striking the northeast coast of the United State on January 5, 2018.

Thanks and credit: STAR CrIS SDR Team. Click images to enlarge.

This image shows the global brightness temperature distribution at day time in one of the CrIS water vapor channels at 1598.75 cm^-1. This channel is sensitive to water vapor amount around 500 hPa, and to mid- to high-level clouds. Dark blue colors in the image represent liquid water and ice clouds. Reds indicate that the radiation is from the warm Earth's surface, or a dry layer in the middle troposphere. The image captured the blizzard striking the northeast coast of the United States on January 5, 2018.

Thanks and credit: STAR CrIS SDR Team. Click images to enlarge.

NUCAPS NOAA-20 IR/MW Temperature at 500mb, 9 January 2018

NOAA-20 NOAA-Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) derived atmospheric vertical temperature profile (AVTP) environmental data record (EDR) at 500 hPa for 9 January 2018. The NUCAPS system was successfully implemented (in the offline configuration) in early January for the NOAA-20 satellite shortly after the CrIS/ATMS SDRs became available.

Thanks and credit: STAR NUCAPS EDR Team. Click images to enlarge.

NOAA-20 VIIRS First Light Image, 13 December 2017

- Twenty-five days after JPSS-1 (NOAA-20) was launched into Earth orbit, NOAA-20 sent back its first Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) science data on December 13, 2017.
This VIIRS true color image captured the aggressive wildfires across the Southern California region which forced thousands to flee their homes. The fire spanned more than 370 square miles and remains the strongest blaze for firefighters to battle in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.