quicscat ascending and descending

[Ed Schoenborn]

The weatherunderground shows the quikscat pictures ascending and descending. What does ascending and descending mean? Ed

[Tom Dulong]

Quickscat data is derived from a scatterometer-equipped polar orbiting environmental satellite (POES). Measurement is taken continuously as the satellite oribits in an elliptical orbit from pole-to-pole, while the earth rotates beneath. This creates an array of 14 ascending/descending data swath pairs for any 24-hour period. This information may be digitally stitched together to create what appears to be a single image.

Images of ascending and descending data mapping may be seen in the example at http://www.newmediastudio.org/DataDiscovery/Hurr_ED_Center/Satellites_and_Sensors/QuikSCAT/QuikSCAT.html

[Ed Schoenborn]

Thanks for the private message. That answered the question. Ed