Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite: Difference between revisions

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[[File:The earth at night.jpg|thumb|Earth at night as imaged by VIIRS]]

The '''Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite''' (VIIRS) is a sensor designed and manufactured by the [[Raytheon]] Company on board the [[Suomi NPP|Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership]] (Suomi NPP) [[weather satellite]].<ref>http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/viirs/</ref> VIIRS is one of five key instruments associated with the Suomi NPP that was launched on October 28, 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://viirsland.gsfc.nasa.gov/|title=VIIRS Land|last=|first=|date=January 5, 2017|website=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=23 February 2017}}</ref> VIIRS is a whiskbroom scanning [[radiometer]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/spb/nsun/snpp/VIIRS/VIIRS_SDR_Users_guide.pdf|title=NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 142|last=Cao|first=Changyong|date=10 September 2013|website=NOAA|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> that collects imagery and radiometric measurements of the land, atmosphere, [[cryosphere]], and oceans in the [[Visible spectrum|visible]] and [[infrared]] bands of the [[electromagnetic spectrum]].<ref>National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center, Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) | http://npp.gsfc.nasa.gov/viirs.html</ref> VIIRS imaging optics include a 19.1 cm aperture and a 114 cm focal length. The orbit average power for VIIRS is 200 watts, and it weighs 275 kg.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jointmission.gsfc.nasa.gov/viirs.html|title=Polar Orbiting Missions|last=|first=|date=|website=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>

VIIRS is capable of generating two data processing streams that result in two different sets of land products. One is produced by [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]], and provides operational data for use by the [[National Weather Service]]. These are known as environmental data records (EDRs). The other stream is from [[NASA]], and is intended to contribute to the larger scientific community. These are known as Earth System Data Records (ESDRs).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://viirsland.gsfc.nasa.gov|title=VIIRS Land|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>