About the episode
ESA and Eumetsat today released the first images from the Lightning Imager on board the first Meteosat Third Generation satellite, which was launched in 2022.
The instrument can continuously detect rapid flashes of light in the Earth’s atmosphere, both day and night, from a distance of 36,000 kilometers. Each of the four onboard cameras can capture up to 1000 frames per second. That way it will continuously observe lightning activity from space. For 84 percent of the Earth’s surface.
The data from the Lightning Imager will provide weather forecasters with greater confidence in their forecasts of severe storms, especially in remote areas and over the oceans where lightning detection capabilities are limited. Which can make a big difference for the aviation sector, among other things. The data should also help to understand the consequences of these types of weather phenomena on climate change.
The data should be available with increased sensitivity in early 2024. The satellite on which the instrument is mounted is the first of six satellites that will collect essential weather data in space over the next 20 years.
Watch the animations here: MTG Lightning Imager animations.
2023-07-03 19:01:21
#Satellite #instrument #continuously #detect #lightning #Europe #Africa #enabled
