MISR's Viewing Geometry and Scattering Angles
 Viewing Geometry for a Satellite Camera
MISR has 9 cameras so the instrument can view Earth at this number of
angles simultaneously. Most of the information about aerosol and cloud particle
properties, and some of the information about surface structure, come from
studying observations taken at different scattering angles.
Select the image to see an enlarged diagram (640 x 377 pixels, 28
kilobytes) illustrating the geometric relationship between the sun,
Earth's surface and atmosphere, and any one of the MISR cameras. The diagram
shows where the scattering of light occurs. Remember that the true situation is
3-dimensional.
 Scattering Angles
The scattering angle is the angle between the sun's direction and the viewing
direction -- see the Viewing Geometry section above.) Most of the information
about cloud and dust particles in the air, and much of what remote sensing
instruments can learn about the surface, comes from studying observations taken
at different scattering angles. Select the image to see an enlarged diagram
(798 x 541 pixels, 19 kilobytes) illustrating the range of scattering
angles that are observed by the 9 MISR cameras.
The scattering angles MISR observes are different for each camera, and also
changes with the geographic latitude of the spacecraft (vertical axis in the
figure) and the location across the MISR image (horizontal axis.) Each scan is
360 km wide. This illustration shows the situation for March 21 and the nominal
EOS-AM spacecraft orbit. Imaging extends to 82 degrees latitude, and in some
seasons folds over towards 60 degrees in the opposing hemisphere. The pattern
remains nearly the same, but shifts poleward, as the solstice seasons approach.
MISR is unique as a spacecraft instrument because it covers such a wide range
of scattering angles.
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