This data is gathered from satellites orbiting the earth at an altitude of 22,236 miles which is exactly how high a satellite has to go to stay in orbit while moving at the exact same speed as the earth’s rotation. This enables the satellite to stay in the same place relative to the earth’s surface and take pictures of weather phenomenon. The satellite takes these pictures through a variety of lenses enabling us to see different weather phenomenon based on which lens we look through.
To navigate between these lenses, use the “Satellite View” menu to move between lenses as well as to move between the brand new GOES-16 satellite and the older GOES-13 and GOES-15 satellites.
To look at different areas, use the menus titled “Sector”, “Area”, “Country”, “State”, and “County”. Note that because the GOES-16 satellite is not yet fully operational, it will only show up when you are viewing the US with the old satellite imagery. To access the GOES-16 data, select North America in the “Area” menu and then select USA in the “Country” menu. When you’re looking at the US, then go into the “Satellite View” menu where you will find the GOES-16 data under the “super res” tag.
We currently have available 6 of the GOES-16 parameters available: More will be added in the future. Two infrared views which display cloud temperature, one Water Vapor view that displays moisture in the upper atmosphere, and three views that show clouds and landscapes as they actually exist. For more information on each view, select the question mark next to its name in the menu.
We also have 6 GOES-13/15 parameters that display cloud temperature, water vapor, and visible imagery at a much lower resolution.
