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Today we start a series of posts devoted to providing information, tips, tricks and answers to frequently asked questions by Calitoo users! So, how do you measure Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) with a Calitoo? First and foremost: NEVER look directly at the sun! And… ONLY take measurements when the sun is not obstructed by clouds. TIP: Use your hand(s) to cover the sun; if you see any clouds on either side of your hand(s), do NOT take any measurements. Wait until the sun is not obstructed by clouds. Now, the Calitoo sun photometer measures AOT values at 465 nm, 540...

Hello, GLOBE Universe, No need to be cloudy and confused with identifying clouds!  There are easy questions that you can ask yourself to help identify what beautiful clouds you are seeing floating high above you. I created a Cloud Identification Guide to step you and your students through identifying clouds.  Here's a quick summary of the main questions.  Inside the cloud guide, there are additional hints to help you tell the difference between similar looking clouds by using special clues. Is it raining? -- this is the first important question because...

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team is excited to highlight Mr. Gary Popiolkowski, a middle school science teacher at Chartiers-Houston Jr./Sr. High School in Houston, PA, USA. Mr. Popiolkowski has been teaching for 44 years and has been a GLOBE teacher since 1995. He has had his students doing cloud observations for the past 18 years, submitting over 15,000 observations! He has also been doing virtual connections with Patumwan Demonstration School in Thailand each year for the past four years. We ask Mr. Popiolkowski how he does it! Here is what he shared: Each period of the day the...

The GLOBE Program is in a unique position to provide citizens worldwide with amazing benefits. One of the biggest benefits, I feel, it that of gaining a larger perspective. I work at Goddard Space Flight Center with the GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement) mission . This Earth-observing satellite is able to measure global precipitation and update these measurements every 30 minutes. You can see the latest data animation for the past week here . As NASA is a key sponsor of The GLOBE Program, many of us who work for NASA are able to share the unique perspectives that...

"Under a three-year agreement signed on Feb. 22, NASA will support two Conservation International-led initiatives, one focused on land ecosystems in Africa, the other on water resources along the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. NASA researchers will analyze and model remote-sensing data from the agency’s fleet of Earth-observing missions and commercial satellites, mapping ecosystems at regional and national scales. Satellite data, with its coverage of broad swaths of terrain, are critical for understanding the impacts of human activity on the environment." Sanje Waterfall in...