2007 EARTH SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES |
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Tape Title | Record ID | Date Produced | TRT: |
Synopsis |
| NASA SATELLITE REVEALS UNPRESCEDENTED VIEW OF MYSTERIOUS NIGHT-SHINING CLOUDS (AGU) | G07-081 | 12/10/07 | 7:10 | NASA's Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite has provided the first global-scale, full-season view of iridescent polar clouds that form 50 miles above Earth's surface. The AIM mission is the first satellite dedicated to the study of these Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs), also known as noctilucent or "night-shining" clouds.
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TAPE CONTENTS: |
| ITEM (1): First Full Season of Polar Mesospheric Clouds from AIM - AIM has returned its first global-scale view of Polar Mesospheric Clouds over the entire 2007 Northern Hemisphere season with an unprecedented horizontal resolution of three miles by three miles.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (2): Noctilucent Cloud Sightings - Polar Mesospheric Clouds form during each polar region's summer months in the coldest place in the atmosphere, 50 miles above Earth's surface. Noctilucent Clouds were first observed in 1885 by an amateur astronomer and have been becoming brighter and more frequent. They have appeared to be moving to lower latitudes in recent years.
Courtesy: Hampton University
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| ITEM (3): What is a "Noctilucent Cloud?" - Because of their high altitude, near the edge of space, Polar Mesospheric Clouds shine at night when the sun's rays hit them from below while the lower atmosphere is bathed in darkness. They typically form in the cold, polar mesosphere region during the summer and are made of water ice crystals.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (4): The AIM Satellite - The AIM satellite has three scientific instruments on board: the Cloud Imaging and Particle Size Experiment (CIPS), a four-camera system that will study cloud morphology; the Solar Occultation for Ice Experiment (SOFIE) that will measure the clouds and temperature and constituents involved in their formation; and the Cosmic Dust Experiment (CDE) that will measure one possible source of particles needed for cloud formation.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (5): Selected Soundbites with James Russell, AIM Principal Investigator, Hampton University
Courtesy: NASA
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