5 ms·

The First Image from EUMETSAT’s Newest Satellite

129 points by julienchastang 3y ago

fnordpiglet 3y ago
Old ball of dirt never gets old to look at.
marcodiego 3y ago
Best thing: they use the <video> tag to display the videos instead of a bunch of javascript.
- barbazoo 3y ago
  Only on HN :)
aeroman 3y ago
The new imager (FCI) will be fantastic for studying the atmosphere, particularly clouds and aerosols (like desert dust). The older imager (SEVIRI) didn't have a blue channel, so all the true-colour images have to be synthesised from data at other wavelengths, giving some of the clouds a characteristic light blue shine. FCI doesn't have that issue, meaning that it can create better 'true-colour images'. It actually has a real green channel too (unlike the GOES ABI instrument), although the iamges from both look brilliant. This blue channel doesn't just help make images look nice, it is also important for measuring aerosols like dust. At blue wavelengths, the surface tends to be much darker, meaning that you can measure aerosols over even relatively bright surfaces (like deserts). With the Sahara looming pretty large in the image, you can see why that might be important! [1] FCI also has some high resolution near-IR channels (including the 2.3 one at 500m resolution). This is fantastic for studying clouds, as the reflectivity of clouds at this wavelength allows you to measure droplet size (which is important for understanding cloud processes) [2]. Very few other instruments have this capability, and none of the existing geostationary satellites do (obviously other than MTG). [1] - https://earth.gsfc.nasa.gov/climate/data/deep-blue/science https://earth.gsfc.nasa.gov/climate/data/deep-blue/science [2] - https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/14/2479/2014/ https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/14/2479/2014/
- anigbrowl 3y ago
  A great explanation that takes in exactly what I was wondering about when doing the image comparisons.
- akiselev 3y ago
  In case anyone is wondering, studying these aerosols is very important to our understanding of global ecology because the desert dust coming off the Sahara [1] supplies critical nutrients like phosphorus from the Bodélé Depression [2] in Chad to the Amazon rainforest on the other side of the planet [3]! This satellite will improve our ability to study this planetary transfer of nutrients and see if we can discover any other such connections. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saharan_dust https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saharan_dust [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bod%C3%A9l%C3%A9_Depression https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bod%C3%A9l%C3%A9_Depression [3] https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/nasa-satellite-reveals-how-much-saharan-dust-feeds-amazon-s-plants/ https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/nasa-satellite-reveals-...
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
detrites 3y ago
If you just want to see the actual raw images from the sat, they're here (seems it's 11k x 11k for a full disc): https://imagine.eumetsat.int/smartViews/view?view=MTG-I1FirstImages https://imagine.eumetsat.int/smartViews/view?view=MTG-I1Firs... Note, each image opens with a magnifier slider at the bottom, easy to miss on mobile.
- WatchDog 3y ago
  The preview seems to be limited to a 3000x3000 jpeg. You can "add the images to basket" to download the originals, which provides a 157MB png, in the case of "full_disk_FCI_true_color_202303181150.png"
- MichaelZuo 3y ago
  The video of the full disc also seems to be in a much lower resolution... do you know if they offer the full resolution video anywhere?
tpmx 3y ago
> [...] until late 2023, when the images will be produced every 10 minutes and released operationally for use in weather forecasts. Will they gatekeep that image feed? I'm assuming they will, but I would be delighted to read that my assumption is wrong. This is one thing the US government does so much better than most European governments. The US government-collected data tends to be open.
- barbazoo 3y ago
  I was just watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGWFg7EDnyY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGWFg7EDnyY and I wonder if some satellites encrypt the content before sending it to earth.
- mthoms 3y ago
  According to the site terms, the satellite imagery is available only for personal, non-commercial use and requires explicit permission otherwise. >This is one thing the US government does so much better than European governments. Their government-collected data tends to be open. Indeed.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
- prewett 3y ago
  That's because works created by the US Government are public domain (at least within the US). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_status_of_works_by_the_federal_government_of_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_status_of_works_by_t...
  - tpmx 3y ago
    That makes so much sense. I wish the EU (and/or European countries in general) would enact something similar but I think may be too late to do the same here now. Way too many stupid little fiefdoms "owned" by socially powerful people with short-sighted self interests. The US did it in 1895 before the massive expansion of that particular social class. Smart. (I guess a similar social class is doing very well in "non-profits" in the US these days, instead.)
speedgoose 3y ago
Having a picture of the cloud coverage every 10 minutes sounds very useful to improve the nowcasting of solar energy production. I’m excited to use this data, if it’s easily available. Perhaps it will be through the Norwegian Meteorological Institute at some point. https://www.met.no/en/free-meteorological-data https://www.met.no/en/free-meteorological-data
nologic01 3y ago
I wonder if binge watching hours and hours of hires cloud dynamics will make me look at the local sky and be able to predict things.
throw_a_grenade 3y ago
Is there a way to decode downlink directly, like the old NOAA satellites?
- plantain 3y ago
  It's encrypted. You need a licence and special software from EUMETSAT.

fnordpiglet 3y ago

Old ball of dirt never gets old to look at.

marcodiego 3y ago

Best thing: they use the <video> tag to display the videos instead of a bunch of javascript.

barbazoo 3y ago
Only on HN :)

aeroman 3y ago

The new imager (FCI) will be fantastic for studying the atmosphere, particularly clouds and aerosols (like desert dust). The older imager (SEVIRI) didn't have a blue channel, so all the true-colour images have to be synthesised from data at other wavelengths, giving some of the clouds a characteristic light blue shine. FCI doesn't have that issue, meaning that it can create better 'true-colour images'. It actually has a real green channel too (unlike the GOES ABI instrument), although the iamges from both look brilliant. This blue channel doesn't just help make images look nice, it is also important for measuring aerosols like dust. At blue wavelengths, the surface tends to be much darker, meaning that you can measure aerosols over even relatively bright surfaces (like deserts). With the Sahara looming pretty large in the image, you can see why that might be important! [1] FCI also has some high resolution near-IR channels (including the 2.3 one at 500m resolution). This is fantastic for studying clouds, as the reflectivity of clouds at this wavelength allows you to measure droplet size (which is important for understanding cloud processes) [2]. Very few other instruments have this capability, and none of the existing geostationary satellites do (obviously other than MTG). [1] - https://earth.gsfc.nasa.gov/climate/data/deep-blue/science https://earth.gsfc.nasa.gov/climate/data/deep-blue/science [2] - https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/14/2479/2014/ https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/14/2479/2014/

anigbrowl 3y ago
A great explanation that takes in exactly what I was wondering about when doing the image comparisons.
akiselev 3y ago
In case anyone is wondering, studying these aerosols is very important to our understanding of global ecology because the desert dust coming off the Sahara [1] supplies critical nutrients like phosphorus from the Bodélé Depression [2] in Chad to the Amazon rainforest on the other side of the planet [3]! This satellite will improve our ability to study this planetary transfer of nutrients and see if we can discover any other such connections. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saharan_dust https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saharan_dust [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bod%C3%A9l%C3%A9_Depression https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bod%C3%A9l%C3%A9_Depression [3] https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/nasa-satellite-reveals-how-much-saharan-dust-feeds-amazon-s-plants/ https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/nasa-satellite-reveals-...
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]

detrites 3y ago

If you just want to see the actual raw images from the sat, they're here (seems it's 11k x 11k for a full disc): https://imagine.eumetsat.int/smartViews/view?view=MTG-I1FirstImages https://imagine.eumetsat.int/smartViews/view?view=MTG-I1Firs... Note, each image opens with a magnifier slider at the bottom, easy to miss on mobile.

WatchDog 3y ago
The preview seems to be limited to a 3000x3000 jpeg. You can "add the images to basket" to download the originals, which provides a 157MB png, in the case of "full_disk_FCI_true_color_202303181150.png"
MichaelZuo 3y ago
The video of the full disc also seems to be in a much lower resolution... do you know if they offer the full resolution video anywhere?

tpmx 3y ago

> [...] until late 2023, when the images will be produced every 10 minutes and released operationally for use in weather forecasts. Will they gatekeep that image feed? I'm assuming they will, but I would be delighted to read that my assumption is wrong. This is one thing the US government does so much better than most European governments. The US government-collected data tends to be open.

barbazoo 3y ago
I was just watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGWFg7EDnyY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGWFg7EDnyY and I wonder if some satellites encrypt the content before sending it to earth.
mthoms 3y ago
According to the site terms, the satellite imagery is available only for personal, non-commercial use and requires explicit permission otherwise. >This is one thing the US government does so much better than European governments. Their government-collected data tends to be open. Indeed.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
prewett 3y ago
That's because works created by the US Government are public domain (at least within the US). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_status_of_works_by_the_federal_government_of_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_status_of_works_by_t...
- tpmx 3y ago
  That makes so much sense. I wish the EU (and/or European countries in general) would enact something similar but I think may be too late to do the same here now. Way too many stupid little fiefdoms "owned" by socially powerful people with short-sighted self interests. The US did it in 1895 before the massive expansion of that particular social class. Smart. (I guess a similar social class is doing very well in "non-profits" in the US these days, instead.)

speedgoose 3y ago

Having a picture of the cloud coverage every 10 minutes sounds very useful to improve the nowcasting of solar energy production. I’m excited to use this data, if it’s easily available. Perhaps it will be through the Norwegian Meteorological Institute at some point. https://www.met.no/en/free-meteorological-data https://www.met.no/en/free-meteorological-data

nologic01 3y ago

I wonder if binge watching hours and hours of hires cloud dynamics will make me look at the local sky and be able to predict things.

throw_a_grenade 3y ago

Is there a way to decode downlink directly, like the old NOAA satellites?

plantain 3y ago
It's encrypted. You need a licence and special software from EUMETSAT.