Satellites continuously take a picture of the earth beneath them, sending this signal back to earth in a way similar to TV signals in the 80's.īecause satellites constantly move, you can only see them at a given time. The orange, Earth, is also spinning, so the camera always sees a different part. Imagine your digital camera circling an orange, always over the top and bottom of the orange, the North and South Pole. Officially called NOAA 15, 18 and 19, they are truck-sized digital cameras with a radio link to Earth. (no need to read this to get an image, but good to know) Weather Satellites Background information Installation is easy, and once the work flow is understood works very well. The imaging software, WXtoImg can be downloaded from here:
If not, read the Software Guide on this blog. I assume you have an RTL-SDR stick and installed the software to use it. To create an image you need an antenna to receive the signal, software to understand this signal (SDRSharp, free), and imaging software to create an image from this signal (WXtoImg, free). Receiving an image from a satellite 800 km above your head is fun, educational (Doppler shift, atmospheric propagation.) and lets you view Earth in glorious detail. Promotes understanding meteorological phenomenon such as lows and highs in colour Confirmation of other data received, such as WEFAX or NAVTEX signals Real-time observation of weather systems in your area Please read Weather Satellites - Antennas for a suitable antenna and construction tips. Setting up software is just as important as a good antenna, so this guide details software settings. You can receive this signal with an RTL stick and create a similar image to the one on the right. What is this all about?Around 800 km / 500 miles above your head, weather satellites circle Earth, continuously sending back what they see.