LoneSky

Here is my current Python script for Himawari-8. If you followed the Himawari-8 Data Download tutorial and saved the files as suggested you need only change the path variable in the script. For example, if your path looks like this: D:/himawari-8-data/2020/0415/0500/ The path variable will be this: path = 'D:/himawari-8-data/' Do not include the YYYY/MMDD/hhmm/ part of your path; the script assumes you used this directory structure and will handle it automatically. Also don't forget the quotes and forward slash at the end!

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: 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...

This is cool: Chaidhat Chaimongkol has made a Java applet that downloads the latest Himawari-8 imagery from the Japan Meterological Agency and applies color correction based on or inspired by my post on this very subject. It then saves it as a desktop wallpaper, continuously updating as new imagery is released. Himawari8SatDesktop Java applet by Chaidhat Chaimongkol. I have not tried it yet as it will require some version of Java runtime environment. I'm looking for a portable implementation that will not need to be installed in Windows 10, possibly jPortable64 or OpenJDK JRE Portable 64-bit . Here is an animation, presumably made from individual frames: Download the Himawari8SatDesktop applet here: https://gist.github.com/Chai112/5006fc94c98d22cae598749c7de86717

This is a two-day color-enhanced composite from GOES-16 taken June 2-3, 2017 (17:45:00 UTC) with simple cloud reduction processing. The individual image bands were provided by SSEC RealEarth . Credit: NASA / NOAA / SSEC - Modified by LoneSky.

This is an approximately true color composite image of the contiguous United States as captured by GOES-16 on May 17, 2017 (17:15:00 UTC) and remapped to Mercator projection for SSEC RealEarth . Credit: NASA / NOAA / SSEC - Modified by LoneSky.

Earth as imaged by Himawari-8 at nearly solar noon over Japan (11:50:00 JST / 02:50:00 UTC) on April 12, 2017. An experimental yet relatively simple method for intuitive color correcting the full resolution imagery presented by NICT ScienceCloud has been applied to approximate how the planet would appear to our eyes. SOUTH ASIA Southeast Asia and the Tibetan Plateau are seen in this rotated view. Note the persistent haze at the foot of the Himalayan Range. The mountains and plateau restrict the movement of precipitation (as well as aerosols) from the south resulting in the rain shadow deserts of central Asia. Credit: MSC of JMA / NICT - Modified by LoneSky.

This post will detail an intuitive (i.e. non-scientific) color correction method for Himawari-8 web imagery. It was updated on May 12, 2017 with additional information on the revised steps used to modify full resolution data downloaded from NICT ScienceCloud (accessed from this archive page ). [Update: January 18, 2022] The JMA link below now leads to JAXA Himawari Monitor and the product in no way resembles the original example. Credit: MSC of JMA / NICT - Color correction by LoneSky.