This is what rolling suspects look like from space

This is what rolling suspects look like from space

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Extreme winter weather hit Texas hard in February. An air mass from the North Pole has expanded from Canada to the United States, with disastrous results for the usually hot state. Along with snow and exceptionally low temperatures, the state’s ability to generate power has been significantly reduced by the failure of equipment. Images presented by NASA’s Earth Observatory show the effect of controlled, rolling eclipses over the Greater Houston Area.

One photo, taken on February 7, shows Houston in front of the Arctic weather system, and another photo on the 16th shows large parts of the city in the dark. Earth Observatory has moved the two images comfortably with a vertical shift layer so that users can slide back and forth, emphasizing the impact of the eclipses (or, as it were).

The left image shows Houston on the 7th, ahead of the North Pole weather. The right side shows the effects of the eclipse on the 16th. Check out the interactive resolution of NASA’s Earth Observatory in higher resolution. Credit NASA Earth Observatory

Each of these images is composed of night light data that is overlaid on Landsat images so that the city structure can be recognized under the lights. The night light data is from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite or VIIRS. This instrumentation suite rides aboard the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) spacecraft.

VIIRS data is also used in NASA’s Black Marble, a program that studies the earth at night. Night light data is collected and processed by Black Marble in different situations and for different occasions, such as the devastating impact of the 2019 Hurricane Dorian on the Bahamas.

2016 Black Marble Image of Earth at Night Credit: NASA / Black Marble

Along with the February 2021 images of rolling eclipses in Texas, the Earth Observatory has published a global temperature map focused on North America for February 15th. In this dramatic image can be seen the extreme cold of the Arctic air mass through the heart of the continent. Dallas recorded a cold temperature of just -16 ° C (4 ° F), which is lower than most of the high temperatures recorded by the Curiosity Rover at Gale Crater on Mars!

Data from the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) model was used to create this map of North America on February 15, 2021 with extreme arctic weather. Credit NASA / GEOS

For those who are fascinated by satellite images of the earth, it’s worth taking a deeper look at what Earth Observatory is doing. For example, users can explore this extraordinary world map. It contains spectacular images and the accompanying stories for points around the world. Thousands of interactive points allow you to explore incredibly detailed satellite imagery for hours and hours. If you have a habit of falling off Wikipedia rabbit holes, it will surely scratch a similar itch.

The Suomi NPP satellite contains several earth imaging tools, including VIIRS. Credit: NASA

The side-by-side images of Houston’s power outages emphasize the importance of scientific instruments in a home-based orbit. When some people think of the space program, interplanetary missions like Mars Perseverance or cosmic observers like the Hubble Space Telescope often get the most attention. While perseverance and Hubble are undoubtedly remarkable and valuable programs, we often overlook the importance of missions on earth. When was the last time you saw a big news headline about the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership, let alone VIIRS? Programs like these deserve support and praise. There is something compelling about seeing such breathtaking images of our world, and the value of the scientific understanding that goes with it is immeasurable.

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