Europe's newest meteorological satellite (MTG-I1) has captured a photo of Earth that shows the magnificent beauty of our planet, even when there are clouds.
The image taken by Meteosat Third Generation — Imager 1 or MTG-I1 shows in great detail the conditions prevailing in Europe, Africa and the Atlantic. Based on this image, we can expect that the satellite is expected to fulfill its promise of improved weather, including forecasts of severe weather events.
“"This image is an excellent example of what European cooperation in space can achieve," said ESA 's Director of Earth Observation Programmes , Simonetta Cheli . "The level of detail revealed by the MTG-I1 image was previously unattainable over Europe and Africa and will give us a better understanding of our planet and the weather systems that shape it.".
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The MTG-I1 satellite was launched on an Ariane 5 on 12 December 2022. It is part of the MTG system of meteorological satellites managed by the European meteorological satellite agency EUMETSAT and the European Space Agency (ESA). The system will be fully operational by 2026 and will consist of six satellites that will provide important data for the early detection of extreme weather events for the next two decades.
The image, released this week by EUMETSAT and ESA, was taken on March 18, 2023 by the satellite's Flexible Combined Imager. It shows a large part of Northern and Western Europe and Scandinavia covered in clouds, while Italy and the Western Balkans have relatively clear skies.
The image shows clouds swirling over the Canary Islands, snow in the Alps and sediment in the water along the coast of Italy. ESA says the new images show details that were not as clear in earlier images taken by the second-generation Meteosat satellite. Some features were not visible at all.
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MTG-I1 can also detect cloud structures at high latitudes, thus helping meteorologists more effectively monitor the evolution of severe weather events in these regions of the planet.
“This remarkable image gives us great confidence that the MTG system will herald a new era in severe weather forecasting,” said EUMETSAT Director General Phil Evans. “It may sound strange to be so excited about a cloudy day over most of Europe. But the level of detail seen in the clouds in this image is extremely important for meteorologists.
The third generation of Meteosat weather satellites will not only capture images at a higher resolution than their predecessors. The frequency of the images. The satellite will capture more images of the Earth and the system will produce images every 10 minutes once fully operational. This frequency will also be important for the MTG system's ability to monitor severe weather and climate change in the long term.
The MTG-I1 satellite will not transmit data to meteorological services in Europe and around the world until the end of 2023. However, its operators will activate the satellite's Flexible Combined Imager and Lightning Imager within the next 12 months and examine the data collected.
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MTG-I1 will soon be paired with a revolutionary MTG Sounding (MTG-S) satellite carrying an Infrared Sounder and an Ultraviolet Visible Near-Infrared Spectrometer. The MTG-S satellite is expected to be deployed by the middle of next year and will be able to provide data on ozone, carbon monoxide and volcanic ash in the atmosphere Earth's
Meteorological satellites are very useful, since the prediction and monitoring of weather phenomena is particularly important for the identification and timely response to various disasters or problems that can arise from severe weather phenomena. With the development of technology in these satellites, we can expect even better results.
Source: www.space.com
