These details are not as clearly visible, or not visible at all, in images from the instruments on the current second-generation spacecraft.

Instruments onboard the third generation of Meteosat meteorological satellites produce imagery with a much higher resolution, and more frequently, than those on the Meteosat Second Generation satellites.ĭetails such as cloud vortices over the Canary Islands, snow cover on the Alps and sediment in the water along the coast of Italy are visible in the image. “This image represents not just what can be achieved through European expertise but our determination to ensure the benefits of new technology are felt by communities in Europe and beyond.”

The level of detail MTG-I1’s image reveals, unachievable over Europe and Africa from a geostationary orbit until now, will give us a greater understanding of our planet and the weather systems that shape it. ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, said, “This image is a great example of what European cooperation in space can achieve.

Earth 360 view from space