Europe's New Weather Satellite Delivers Stunning Earth Views
The Meteosat third generation imager has delivered its first imagery of Europe and Africa from 36,000 kilometers away (22,369 mi.).
Credit: ESA
Credit: ESA
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TechTranscript
00:00 [Sounds of a thunderstorm]
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.
01:09 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
01:49 Earth observations 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,
02:36 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,
02:48 sediment in the water along the coast of Italy,
02:51 and cloud vortices over the Canary Islands are visible.
02:56 Crucially, for Nordic countries, the image also shows a greater level of detail
03:01 of cloud structures at high latitudes.
03:07 The Medeosat 3rd Generation Imager is currently undergoing a commissioning phase,
03:11 where its instruments are switched on,
03:13 and the data they collect are calibrated.
03:18 By the end of the year, the data will be distributed to meteorological services in Europe and beyond,
03:24 and will soon be available on a screen, TV, or weather app near you.
03:30 [Music]
03:37 [Music]
03:45 [Music]
03:48 [BLANK_AUDIO]