How Satellites Are Tracking the Monster Storm from Space

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As Hurricane Florence makes its way to the East Coast, several satellites are monitoring the dangerous storm system with a variety of instruments.

From tracking wind speeds, aerodynamics, aerodynamics, aerodynamics, aerodynamics, aerodynamics, aerodynamics, aerospace, aerospace .

Some of the most incredible views of Hurricane Florence, where European Space Agency astronaut and expert photographer Alexander Gerst has been snapping gorgeous images of the hurricane's eye from 250 miles (400 kilometers) above the Earth. [Hurricane Florence in Photos: See the Massive Storm from Space]

The GOES-East satellite, also known as GOES-16, captured this image of Hurricane Florence nearing the East Coast on Sept. 12, 2018, at 1:37 p.m. EDT (1737 GMT).

The GOES-East satellite, also known as GOES-16, captured this image of Hurricane Florence nearing the East Coast on Sept. 12, 2018, at 1:37 p.m. EDT (1737 GMT).

Credit: NOAA

While space station astronauts provide what are arguably the most impressive views of the Earth, orbit the earth.

The GOES-East satellite, also known as GOES-16, is one of the most high-tech weather satellites currently in orbit. Launched in 2016 as part of the NASA-NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Program (GOES), this satellite hovers above Central America and provides continuous, high-definition imagery of the entire Western Hemisphere.

GOES-East carries two Earth-observation instruments. Its primary instrument, called the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), records images of the Earth in 16 different spectral bands that capture infrared, near-infrared and visible wavelengths of light.

Another instrument on GOES-East, the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), detects lightning flashes and storm updrafts, which "really helps the forecaster with what is called situational awareness," Steven Goodman, a program scientist for NOAA, said in a prelaunch press. conference on Nov. 17, 2016.

The GOES-West satellite, also known as GOES-15, has managed to snap a few images of Hurricane Florence from the spacecraft geostationary orbit above the Pacific Ocean.

The GOES-15 weather satellite captured this view of Hurricane Florence on Sept. 11, 2018, at 10 AM EDT (1400 GMT).

The GOES-15 weather satellite captured this view of Hurricane Florence on Sept. 11, 2018, at 10 AM EDT (1400 GMT).

Credit: NOAA

Like GOES-East, GOES-West is equipped with a multispectral imager that records visible and infrared wavelengths of light. The satellite also has an atmospheric sounding instrument that measures the temperatures and moisture levels throughout the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission is dedicated to measuring, mapping and predicting rainfall. Data from the GPM Core Observatory satellite – a joint project between NASA and Japan's space agency – uses a microwave-imaging instrument and radars to generate global, 3D precipitation maps every 3 hours.

Data from the GPM mission "is used to unify precipitation measurements made by an international network of satellite partners to quantify when, where and how much it rains or snows around the world," NASA officials said in a description of the mission.

"The GPM mission contributes to advancing our understanding of Earth's water and energy cycles, improving the forecasting of natural disasters, and extending the capabilities of the satellite."

NASA's Aqua Satellite uses an instrument called the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The Aqua satellite, which launched in 2002, collects information about Earth's water cycle, "including evaporation from the oceans, water vapor in the atmosphere, clouds, precipitation, soil moisture, sea ice, land ice, and snow cover on the land and ice NASA officials said in a description.

The Suomi NPP satellite captured this image of Hurricane Florence on Sept. 12, 2018, using an instrument known as the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS).

The Suomi NPP satellite captured this image of Hurricane Florence on Sept. 12, 2018, using an instrument known as the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS).

Credit: NOAA / NASA / NRL

When it comes to getting rid of "Blue Marble" and "Black Marble" photos of Earth from space, NOAA's Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite also plays an important role in forecasting hurricanes and other weather systems. Launched in 2011, Suomi NPP orbits Earth 14 times by day while measuring temperature, pressure, cloud coverage and moisture levels around the globe.

In addition to the visible-light images and weather data, ozone levels, thermal radiation, wildfires and more.

In a public advisory issued today (Sep. 12) at 11 am EDT (1500 GMT), NOAA's National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Hurricane Florence – a life-threatening, Category 4 storm – is now expected to make landfall over North Carolina Gold South Carolina on Saturday (Sept. 15).

[CoastalareasoftheNorthAtlanticcouldnotbereducedto40inches(100centimeters)ofrainwhichcouldproduce"catastrophicflashfloodingandsignificantriverflooding"accordingtotheNHCadvisory

For the most up-to-date information on Hurricane Florence and other major storms, visit nhc.noaa.gov.

Email Hanneke Weitering at [email protected] or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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