Satellite Sensors
The sensors on a satellite are known as radiometers, they measure electromagnetic energy. Radiometers come in two types:
Imagers aren’t actually cameras, they ‘see’ in different ways:
- Visible - measure the amount of sun’s visible light that is reflected back to space from the Earth’s surface or clouds.
- Infrared - measure the amount of radiation emitted by the surface and clouds.
Source: Eastern U.S. Visible | NOAA
Sounders don’t actually listen for sound. They measure infrared radiation and provide vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, and water vapor in the atmosphere. Unlike weather balloons, which measure a limited number of points, sounders can remotely sense weather variables for the entire globe. Sounders are used to look at the atmosphere of other planets as well.
