The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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The Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) method enables the detection of very weak absorption structures in the spectra of backscattered sun light measured by the satellite instrument. In the centre a spectrum of sunlight scattered back from the earth’s atmosphere is shown. From such spectra the absorption structures of various atmospheric trace gases can be retrieved simultaneously. Graphic from T. Wagner, University of Heidelberg's Institute for Environmental Physics.