This is an approximately true-color image of Earth as captured from the GOES-16 (now GOES-East) geosynchronous satellite. The image was acquired on August 8, 2018:
The image was first processed using a Python script I wrote then imported into a paint program to make the final color adjustments. I hope to detail the procedure in a future blog update so others can experiment with it.
Unlike GeoColor imagery, the intent here was to present a view closer to what a human observer would see. Unfortunately because no green filter was included on GOES-16 it is not possible to make a true-color image. The precursors to GOES-16—Himawari 8 and 9—do have a green filter (though not at the ideal wavelength) and are capable of more true to life views.
Despite optimism that a work-around method would be utilized to generate a more accurate pseudo green channel and thus produce images closer to true color, so far I have seen no indication that it has been satisfactorily done in practice. GeoColor tends to render desert areas in a monotone pink, for example. The difference between GOES-16 images and MODIS, VIIRS, Himawari-8, DSCOVR, etc., is obvious and disappointing.
More information to come in future posts.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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| Earth as imaged by the GOES-16 satellite. |
The image was first processed using a Python script I wrote then imported into a paint program to make the final color adjustments. I hope to detail the procedure in a future blog update so others can experiment with it.
Unlike GeoColor imagery, the intent here was to present a view closer to what a human observer would see. Unfortunately because no green filter was included on GOES-16 it is not possible to make a true-color image. The precursors to GOES-16—Himawari 8 and 9—do have a green filter (though not at the ideal wavelength) and are capable of more true to life views.
Despite optimism that a work-around method would be utilized to generate a more accurate pseudo green channel and thus produce images closer to true color, so far I have seen no indication that it has been satisfactorily done in practice. GeoColor tends to render desert areas in a monotone pink, for example. The difference between GOES-16 images and MODIS, VIIRS, Himawari-8, DSCOVR, etc., is obvious and disappointing.
More information to come in future posts.
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