2010 Hurricane Season

Three Hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean As Seen From GOES-13

Hurricanes, Igor, Karl, and Julia, in the Atlantic

On Thursday, September 16, 2010, Hurricanes Igor, Karl, and Julia, could be seen from the GOES-13 satellite in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. This rare but not unique parade of storms displays images from "one of NOAA's newest, technologically advanced satellites," states Mary Kicza, NOAA Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services (NESDIS).

In preparation for the hurricane season, GOES-13 was moved from on-orbit storage and became the "official" GOES-EAST satellite on April 14, 2010. GOES stands for a Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite that orbit from 22,300 miles above the earth at a speed matching the earth's rotation. This spacecraft was launched aboard a Boeing Delta IV rocket on May 24, 2006 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL, and sends images every fifteen minutes to the NESDIS Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution located in Suitland, MD.

To cover weather conditions in the western part of the U.S. and eastern Pacific, there is another satellite in the GOES-WEST position. This is the GOES-11 satellite launched on May 3, 2000. GOES-12 covers South America as part of the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS), and GOES-14 is on standby status.

The spectacular images from GOES-13 are a considerable improvement from the first black and white daytime swath of images from the first Synchronous Meteorological Satellite (SMS-1), launched on May 17, 1974. While NOAA is responsible for program funding and on-orbit operations, NASA procures, develops, and launches the spacecrafts. This NOAA-NASA partnership has provided continuous weather satellites imagery and data for over 36 years.

This and other significant satellite imagery can be viewed from the NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory(EVL) home page. EVL is a supported by NESDIS/STAR and through collaboration with other NOAA organizations and scientists.

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