Low Earth Orbiting Satellites

Satellites in a sunsynchronous orbit circle the earth from pole-to-pole. Satellites in this orbit view all regions of the earth in a single day and are good for global weather studies. Sunsynchronous orbits are also referred to as polar orbits as the polar regions are frequently viewed, for example 14 times a day. They are also called Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites because they orbit the Earth at a much lower altitude than the GEO satellites. Here is a recent composite view of the south polar region. In the tropical regions a LEO satellite flies by a particular region of the earth twice a day -- for example once in the afternoon and once in the evening. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) typically maintains two polar orbiting satellites. One views the United States at approximately 2 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time and the second views regions of the US around 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time.

Back

Return to Lesson 1
Return to Satellite Meteorology Main Page
Current Madison Weather