PHOTOS: NOAA unveils 1st stunning images from GOES-16 satellite 
 
 By Kevin Byrne, AccuWeather staff writer February 08, 2017, 4:43:00 PM EST 
 
 
 
 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the first high-resolution images that were sent from its newly-launched GOES-16, formerly GOES-R, satellite on Monday. 
 
 GOES-16 was launched Nov. 19 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Called a "game changer" by NOAA, the $1.2 billion satellite will help revolutionize weather forecasting in many ways, including sending back data faster and generating images in higher resolution that will lead to more accurate forecasts. 
 
 The photos provides by GOES-16 have an image resolution four times greater than the existing GOES satellites. 
 
 
 
 
 
 More accurate forecasts will allow forecasters to give more advanced warnings when dealing with severe weather or tropical systems. 
 
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 "These images come from the most sophisticated technology ever flown in space to predict severe weather on Earth," said Stephen Volz, director of NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service. "The fantastically rich images provide us with our first glimpse of the impact GOES-16 will have on developing life-saving forecasts.” 
 
 Situated in orbit about 23,000 miles above Earth, GOES-16 can provide a full image of Earth every 15 minutes and one of the continental U.S. every five minutes. 
 
 
 
 
 
 NOAA unveils 1st high-resolution images from GOES-16 satellite The first images from NOAA's GOES-16 satellite were taken on Jan. 15 and released to the public on Monday, Jan. 23. In the above photo, the moon Earth are visible. ice storm This image shows an expansivethat caused damage and fatalities across the U.S. on Jan. 15. Dust moving off the coast of Africa is seen in the far right of this image. Florida and some of the clear blue waters of the Caribbean can be identified in this photo. GOES-16 is able to photograph the entire Western Hemisphere. This image shows Argentina with storms in the northeastern part of the country and mountain wave clouds in the southwest. 
 
 Clouds are seen moving into the west coast of the U.S. and the Baja Peninsula in Mexico in this image. 
 
 This image shows a storm moving into the Northeast which would eventually bring wet and wintry weather to the region on Jan. 16-17. 
 
 GOES-16 captured this clear view of Mexico and Central America. Toward the coast of southern Mexico, the satellite was able to pinpoint the location of a fire and its smoke. 
 
 
 
 On Feb. 7, GOES-16 captured a tornado outbreak over Louisiana. The satellite used its Advanced Baseline Imager to capture the high-resolution images with vivid detail. 
 
 
 
 Report a Typo ||||| GOES-16 and GOES-13 Earth Photo Comparison from Jan 15, 2017. 
 
 Jan 15, 2017 
 
 With five-times greater coverage, four-times the spatial resolution, and three-times the spectral channels than earlier generations of GOES-16's Advanced Baseline Imager can provide more detailed imagery and multi-task in ways that previous GOES imagers could not. For proof of that, consider the following image comparing full-disk images captured by two NOAA satellites -- GOES-16 and GOES-13 -- at the same time on the same day: 1:07 p.m. EST on January 15, 2017. 
 
 On the left is a color-composite full-disk image from NOAA's newest geostationary weather satellite GOES-16 (located at 89.5 degrees West longitude), which was created by combining data from the ABI's 16 spectral channels. By comparison, the imager aboard GOES-13 has just five spectral channels, and their data cannot be combined to produce color composites with this "true color" effect without the inclusion of additional data sets. 
 
 In addition to offering more channels, the ABI can provide a full disk image of the Earth every 15 minutes, one of the continental U.S. every five minutes, and has the ability to target regional areas where severe weather, hurricanes, wildfires, volcanic eruptions or other high-impact environmental phenomena are occurring as often as every 30 seconds. ||||| Since the GOES-16 satellite lifted off from Cape Canaveral on November 19, scientists, meteorologists and ordinary weather enthusiasts have anxiously waited for the first photos from NOAA’s newest weather satellite, GOES-16, formerly GOES-R. 
 
 The release of the first images today is the latest step in a new age of weather satellites. It will be like high-definition from the heavens. 
 
 The pictures from its Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument, built by Harris Corporation, show a full-disc view of the Western Hemisphere in high detail — at four times the image resolution of existing GOES spacecraft. The higher resolution will allow forecasters to pinpoint the location of severe weather with greater accuracy. GOES-16 can provide a full image of Earth every 15 minutes and one of the continental U.S. every five minutes, and scans the Earth at five times the speed of NOAA’s current GOES imagers. 
 
 NOAA’s GOES-16, situated in geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above Earth, will boost the nation’s weather observation network and NOAA’s prediction capabilities, leading to more accurate and timely forecasts, watches and warnings. 
 
 “This is such an exciting day for NOAA! One of our GOES-16 scientists compared this to seeing a newborn baby’s first pictures — it’s that exciting for us,” said Stephen Volz Ph.D. director of NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service. “These images come from the most sophisticated technology ever flown in space to predict severe weather on Earth. The fantastically rich images provide us with our first glimpse of the impact GOES-16 will have on developing life-saving forecasts.” 
 
 In May, NOAA will announce the planned location for GOES-16. By November 2017, GOES-16 will be operational as either GOES-East or GOES-West. Once operational, NOAA will use the satellite’s six new instruments to generate new or improved meteorological, solar, and space weather products. 
 
 Second satellite in GOES series already in development 
 
 Following on the heels of GOES-R will be, GOES-S, the second of four spacecraft in the series. GOES-S is undergoing environmental testing at Lockheed Martin’s Corporation facility in Littleton, Colorado, where it was built. A full set of environmental, mechanical and electromagnetic testing will take about one year to complete. The GOES-S satellite will be moved into the other operational position as GOES-17 immediately after launch and initial checkout of the satellite, approximately nine months after GOES-16. 
 
 Additional information: 
 
 Learn more about the GOES series of satellites 
 
 GOES-16 Image gallery
– GOES-16, the fancy new satellite developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is sending its first photos back to Earth since it lifted off from Cape Canaveral on Nov. 19, and the high-res results are causing astronomers and meteorologists to squeal with delight. One developer compared it to seeing a newborn baby's first pics—"it's that exciting for us," NOAA reports. Space.com calls the super high-res images "jaw-dropping," while NASA reports that the first images, from 22,300 miles up, catch details including dust blowing off the coast of Africa, shallow waters in the Caribbean, and mountain wave clouds in Argentina. (See a gallery here.) The hope is that viewing our own planet and the atmosphere around it in such detail ("high definition from the heavens," per NOAA) will provide data for more accurate weather forecasts that could save lives. AccuWeather reports that the "stunning" images boast resolution that is four times greater than the capability of the best current satellites. NOAA says the second (GOES-S) in a series of four sophisticated satellites is undergoing a year of testing at Lockheed Martin’s Corporation facility in Littleton, Colo., and NASA reports that it is expected to launch in 2018. GOES-16 captures a full image of Earth every 15 minutes and one of the continental US every five minutes, and it can scan five times faster than current GOES imagers. (Here's how NASA scouts asteroids.)