MISR
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MISR (Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer) is a scientific instrument on the Terra satellite launched by NASA in 1999. The device is designed to gather climatalogical data and first became operational in February 2000.
MISR consists of an innovative configuration of nine separate digital cameras that gather data in four different areas of the electromagnetic spectrum. One camera points toward the nadir, and the others provide forward and aftward view angles at 26.1°, 45.6°, 60.0°, and 70.5°. As the instrument flies overhead, each region of the Earth's surface is successively imaged by all nine cameras in each of four wavelengths (blue, green, red, and near-infrared).
The data gathered by MISR is considered useful in climatological studies concerning solar radiation flux in the Earth's biosphere. MISR is specifically designed to monitor the monthly, seasonal, and long-term trends of atmospheric aerosol particle concentrations including those formed by natural sources and by human activities, cloud cover, and the distribution of land surface cover, including vegetation canopy structure.
External link
- Official NASA site (http://terra.nasa.gov/About/MISR/about_misr.html)
- Visible Earth: Latest MISR images (http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/Sensors/Terra/MISR.html)