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.  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 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. More accurate forecasts will allow forecasters to give more advanced warnings when dealing with severe weather or tropical systems. RELATED: 
 
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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. 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.  GOES-16 and GOES-13 Earth Photo Comparison from Jan 15, 2017.
– 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.)