Europe's Weather Satellite Delivers Stunning Earth Views

Space.com

The Meteosat third generation imager has delivered its first imagery of Europe and Africa from 36,000 kilometers away (22,369 mi.).  Credit: ESA

Transcript

00:00 [Sounds of meteorite impact]

00:06 We have now entered a new era of satellite meteorology.

00:12 Europe's latest weather satellite, the Medeosat 3rd Generation Imager,

00:17 has just delivered its first image.

00:20 But before we reveal it, what does this satellite do exactly,

00:24 and what does this mean for weather forecasting?

00:28 Weather, especially extreme weather, affects everything we do.

00:35 Over the past 40 years, events like floods, heat waves, and storms

00:40 have caused close to 145,000 fatalities across Europe,

00:45 and economic losses of around 500 million euros.

00:50 Monitoring weather is crucial, not only in our day-to-day lives,

00:54 but also to determine future climate changes.

00:58 In 1977, the first European weather satellite, Medeosat, took its place in orbit.

01:05 Eleven satellites have since followed.

01:10 From their vantage point 36,000 km above the equator,

01:14 they've been watching Earth non-stop for over four decades.

01:19 These missions result from the long-standing cooperation between ESA and Yumitsat.

01:25 In December 2022, the latest Medeosat satellite lifted off,

01:29 marking the next generation of weather forecasting.

01:36 The Medeosat 3rd Generation Imager, the first of six satellites,

01:40 will monitor the weather from space like never before.

01:46 With its groundbreaking instruments, the satellite will deliver Earth observations

01:50 of unprecedented range, resolution, and frequency.

01:56 This will enable weather forecasts to monitor the evolution

01:59 of rapidly developing severe weather more accurately.

02:05 The satellite's flexible combined imager can scan the entire Earth disk in 10 minutes,

02:11 and deliver images over Europe in just 2.5 minutes.

02:16 So, are you ready for the big reveal?

02:21 This is the first image from the Medeosat 3rd Generation Imager,

02:26 showing Europe, Africa, and the Atlantic in remarkable detail.

02:33 Much of northern and western Europe, as well as Scandinavia, can be seen blanketed in clouds,

02:39 with relatively clear skies over Italy and the western Balkans.

02:45 Details such as snow cover on the Alps, sediment in the water along the coast of Italy,

02:51 and cloud vortices over the Canary Islands are visible.

02:57 Crucially for Nordic countries, the image also shows a greater level of detail

03:02 of cloud structures at high latitudes.

03:08 The Medeosat 3rd Generation Imager is currently undergoing a commissioning phase,

03:12 where its instruments are switched on, and the data they collect are calibrated.

03:19 By the end of the year, the data will be distributed to meteorological services in Europe and beyond,

03:25 and will soon be available on a screen, TV, or weather app near you.

03:32 [Music]

03:39 [Music]

03:45 [Music]

03:51 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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