Introduction to Meteosat images


Five identical geostationary satellites
 
Five identical geostationary satellites are placed in a constellation around the equator. There is Meteosat (ESA), GMS (Japan), INSAT (India), and GOES E and GOES W (USA). Together they produce new images of global weather conditions every half hour. They do not, however, cover the Polar Regions.

MSG, Meteosat Second Generation artistic view
 
The first launch of a second generation of Meteosat satellites was in 2002. The opportunity to analyse the atmosphere and its trace gasses was enhanced with these satellites.

IR image
 
Thermal infrared channel (IR) image.

VIS image
 
Visible channel (VIS) image.

WV image
 
Water vapour (WV) image.