I haven't been checking weather sites as frequently lately (something about it being cold), but today I was poking around and realized the satellite image sources on some of NOAA's sites have either changed, or are not there anymore. I looked into why and found this.
It turns out that there is a change for GOES-East. The GOES-13 satellite has been retired and is replaced by GOES-16. What this means is any of your favorite weather sites that use GOES-East images may have been impacted by a change in source data.
It's GOES, not GEOS. Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite. Pardon me for being so picky.
30-inch homemade Newtonian with periscope
20-inch homemade equatorial Newtonian with periscope
14-inch homemade equatorial Newtonian
10-inch Newtonian that folds flat
6-inch Russian Maksutov-Newtonian on Vixen equatorial mount
Too many small scopes and binoculars to mention
GOES 16 is awesome for astronomy weather prediction. But if you think of Earth as an astronomical observing target check out the full disk views on the geocolor polychromatic channel! If you like the earth images from the EPIC camera on the DSCOVR spacecraft you will go nuts for these. GOES is geostationary by definition so you can't see the earth rotate like you do with the EPIC images but you do get to see the sunrise and sunset terminators move across the disk in insane detail. One thing you get with the new geocolor channel that you don't get with the old satellites is surface illumination under clear night skys. So you also get a feel for inhabitation and light pollution similar to some of the imagery from the ISS but for a full disk.
Yes, the EPIC images are awesome. Eclipses and moon transits are worth checking out in their historic images.
I also agree, the GOES images are much better at night than they used to be from the old satellite. The GeoColor is very handy so you don't have to switch from VIS to IR when it gets dark. It's fun to watch the cut-off line between images swipe across on the 96 image loop.
Dick Jacobson wrote: ↑Thu Jan 18, 2018 6:24 am
It's GOES, not GEOS. Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite. Pardon me for being so picky.
You seem to be good at assembling telescopes. I have a Apogee 8" f4 i got at a yard sale. I really want to get it working. The mirror isn't installed but I have all the screws and springs. I really don't know what I'm doing and I don't want to damage anything. Do you think it's possible for you to help or guide me?
Yes Reed, I would be glad to help. Let's set up a time. I'm retired so my calendar is pretty much open.
By the way, you can send private messages in the MAS Forum. Click on the name of the person who posted the public message. Then a screen pops up showing information about that person, and you can click on "Send private message" on that screen. I usually check the MAS forum every day but don't always see new private messages. You can email me at dick.jacobson.mn (at) outlook.com, or call/text me at 763-203-3601.
Dick Jacobson
30-inch homemade Newtonian with periscope
20-inch homemade equatorial Newtonian with periscope
14-inch homemade equatorial Newtonian
10-inch Newtonian that folds flat
6-inch Russian Maksutov-Newtonian on Vixen equatorial mount
Too many small scopes and binoculars to mention
