S'COOL: New Geostationary Observing Times
Two needs have recently converged to provide new observation time options for S'COOL participants. First, many teachers have reported that their biggest challenge in implementing S'COOL in the classroom is dealing with the changing overpass times for the Terra and Aqua spacecraft. Second, the CERES team has begun concentrating on data products obtained using
geostationary (geo) satellites
that take the CERES data a step further (see shaded oval in figure). The Time Interpolation & Spatial Averaging (TISA) products correct the once-a-day CERES measurement to represent the entire 24-hour period. This produces a second opportunity to use student data for ground truth validation at geostationary observing times.
While geo satellites scan the Earth as often as every 15 minutes (and are often used in your TV weather report), currently CERES uses only imagery taken every 3 hours. The schedule is slightly different for each geo satellite, so we have developed a (clickable map) that will give you the 3-hourly geo times for your location. As with Terra and Aqua, we ask for observations within +/- 15 minutes of the image time. This should provide you with 3-4 additional options for observation times during the school day - but these times will stay constant for months at a time (changes occur when geo satellites are replaced, so please check the clickable map every few months). Observations at geo times should use the new "Geo satellite" option on the on-line report form.
