The first weather satellite was TIROS-1, created by a team at NASA in 1960 without a single inventor. Weather satellites use radiometers with detectors for infrared, microwave, and visible light to take images from orbit. They provide data on clouds, temperatures, storms, and other weather patterns up to every 12 hours. Infrared satellites in particular help fishermen and farmers by detecting tropical cyclones and calculating surface temperatures. All weather satellites have exterior imaging devices like radiometers and often use solar panels to generate power.

1. WeatherSatellites Colin Fowler JP Gallagher

2. Inventor/History The first weather satellite was called the TIROS-1, or Television InfraRed Observation Satellite. TIROS-1 was created by a team of NASA scientists and engineers and therefore has no single inventor. TIROS-1 was invented in

3. How It Works Weather satellites take images with devices called radiometers. These usually have a telescope or antenna, a scanner, and various detectors such as those for infrared, microwave, and visible electromagnetic radiation. They are designed to work for 3-7 years but tend to work for longer periods of time.

4. How It Works Satellites orbit the earth in a sun-synchronus orbit, which allows them to image every area on the Earth’s surface every twelve hours. Most satellites are powered by solar panels.

6. What Weather Satellites Do Visible Spectrum – satellites that observe the visible spectrum of light are used for capturing images of clouds, fronts, smaller storms, bodies of water, geological formations, and pollution such as smoke, smog, and dust. Infrared Spectrum – infrared satellites are used for determining cloud heights, calculating surface temperatures, and detecting tropical cyclones. Fisherman and farmers benefit from this information by predicting weather and temperature.

7. Physical Characteristics All weather satellites have some sort of exterior imaging device, be it a radiometer or other sensor. Many weather satellites also have solar panels, generally in the form of winglike projections.

8. Works Cited http://passingparade-2009.blogspot.com/2010/11/president-john-f-kennedy-father-of.html http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/filmi_sangeet/film_song_1960_world.html http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_invented_a_weather_satellite http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TIROS-1 http://www.weatherquestions.com/How_do_weather_satellites_work.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_satellite

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