This data set consists of daily visible-band (VIS) imagery and infrared-band (IR) imagery derived from the Environmental Sciences Service Administration (ESSA) satellites, the Improved TIROS Operational System 1 (ITOS 1) satellite, and the the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites covering December 1966 through March 1978 (IR data begins in December 1972). The data set was created by scanning the analog imagery from these satellites held in the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) physical archives in Asheville, NC. Images on 35 mm film, glossy prints, or paper halftone prints were scanned, processed, and then converted to NetCDF format.

The Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) series offers the advantage of daily global coverage, by making nearly polar orbits 14 times per day approximately 520 miles above the surface of the Earth. The Earth's rotation allows the satellite to see a different view with each orbit, and each satellite provides two complete views of a location around the world each day. The POES constellation of weather satellites is a joint effort between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). The Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) is a cross-track scanning system with five spectral bands having a resolution of 1.1 km and a frequency of earth scans twice per day (usually 0230 and 1430 local solar time) on NOAA and EUMETSAT satellites. There are three data types produced from the NOAA POES AVHRR. The Global Area Coverage (GAC) data set is reduced resolution image data that is processed onboard the satellite taking only one line out of every three and averaging every four of five adjacent samples along the scan line; the Local Area Coverage (LAC) data set is recorded onboard at original resolution (1.1 km) for part of an orbit and later transmitted to earth; and the High Resolution Picture Transmission (HRPT) is real-time downlink data. The EUMETSAT MetOp satellite series, initially launched on October 19, 2006, produces the same three data types as well as a fourth data type, Global Full Resolution Area Coverage (FRAC 1.1 km). The MetOp polar orbiting operational meteorological satellite system is the European contribution to the Initial Joint Polar-Orbiting Operational Satellite System (IJPS). AVHRR data provide opportunities for studying and monitoring vegetation conditions in ecosystems including forests, tundra and grasslands. Applications include agricultural assessment, land cover mapping, producing image maps of large areas such as countries or continents, and tracking regional and continental snow cover. AVHRR data are also used to retrieve various geophysical parameters such as sea surface temperatures and energy budget data.

The Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) series offers the advantage of daily global coverage, by making nearly polar orbits 14 times per day approximately 520 miles above the surface of the Earth. The Earth's rotation allows the satellite to see a different view with each orbit, and each satellite provides two complete views of a location around the world each day. The POES constellation of weather satellites is a joint effort between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). The Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) is a cross-track scanning system with five spectral bands having a resolution of 1.1 km and a frequency of earth scans twice per day (usually 0230 and 1430 local solar time) on NOAA and EUMETSAT satellites. There are three data types produced from the NOAA POES AVHRR. The Global Area Coverage (GAC) data set is reduced resolution image data that is processed onboard the satellite taking only one line out of every three and averaging every four of five adjacent samples along the scan line; the Local Area Coverage (LAC) data set is recorded onboard at original resolution (1.1 km) for part of an orbit and later transmitted to earth; and the High Resolution Picture Transmission (HRPT) is real-time downlink data. The EUMETSAT MetOp satellite series, initially launched on October 19, 2006, produces the same three data types as well as a fourth data type, Global Full Resolution Area Coverage (FRAC 1.1 km). The MetOp polar orbiting operational meteorological satellite system is the European contribution to the Initial Joint Polar-Orbiting Operational Satellite System (IJPS). AVHRR data provide opportunities for studying and monitoring vegetation conditions in ecosystems including forests, tundra and grasslands. Applications include agricultural assessment, land cover mapping, producing image maps of large areas such as countries or continents, and tracking regional and continental snow cover. AVHRR data are also used to retrieve various geophysical parameters such as sea surface temperatures and energy budget data.

The Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) Instrument Engineering Telemetry Data file contains data used to support the generation of SUVI Level 1b products, and monitor and evaluate the health and performance of the instrument. This data is transmitted to the ground in raw digital counts, and subsequently converted into physical units by the ground system. Most of the data pertains to the temperature of components in the instrument. This includes temperatures for the guide telescope, door mechanism, supporting structure, shutter, aperture, filter wheels, mirrors, electronics, and CCD. CCD bias voltages are also included. The SUVI Dark Frame Data file contains an image produced by the SUVI with the camera’s shutter closed. A dark frame measures the inherent bias and noise in the camera electronics, and is used to identify, track, and monitor permanently bad pixels. Dark frames are collected in the operational imaging epoch of the SUVI, and support the radiometric correction of the solar imagery products. Up to ten dark frames are used to support of radiometrically correcting individual solar images. The SUVI Miscellaneous Frame Data file contains a special image produced by the SUVI to support several calibration related activities. Specific types of images include glass, flat-field, and light transfer curve.

The Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) Instrument Engineering Telemetry Data file contains data used to support the generation of SUVI Level 1b products, and monitor and evaluate the health and performance of the instrument. This data is transmitted to the ground in raw digital counts, and subsequently converted into physical units by the ground system. Most of the data pertains to the temperature of components in the instrument. This includes temperatures for the guide telescope, door mechanism, supporting structure, shutter, aperture, filter wheels, mirrors, electronics, and CCD. CCD bias voltages are also included. The SUVI Dark Frame Data file contains an image produced by the SUVI with the camera’s shutter closed. A dark frame measures the inherent bias and noise in the camera electronics, and is used to identify, track, and monitor permanently bad pixels. Dark frames are collected in the operational imaging epoch of the SUVI, and support the radiometric correction of the solar imagery products. Up to ten dark frames are used to support of radiometrically correcting individual solar images. The SUVI Miscellaneous Frame Data file contains a special image produced by the SUVI to support several calibration related activities. Specific types of images include glass, flat-field, and light transfer curve.