CloudFAQ

Clouds Frequently Asked Questions

1). Does the Sun or black holes affect NASA's satellites?
 


Satellites in space face a problem called "orbital drag." This happens when the Sun sends out energy and particles that make Earth's upper atmosphere expand, like a balloon. When this happens, satellites have to push through more air, which slows them down and makes their orbits lower. Big storms from the Sun can make satellites drop as much in one day as they normally would in a year.

Scientists found that smaller, longer storms can sometimes cause more problems for satellites than short, strong ones. This is a big deal because many satellites are in low-Earth orbit, and if one gets off course, it could crash into another.

NASA studies space weather to keep satellites safe. They watch the Sun and predict when storms might happen. This helps satellite operators prepare and prevent crashes. Even the International Space Station needs to adjust its orbit to avoid falling too low.

As more satellites are launched, understanding space weather is important to keep everything running smoothly in space.

On the other hand, black holes do not affect NASA satellites because they are extremely far from Earth. Their gravitational pull does not extend far enough to impact satellites orbiting Earth.

2). What are clouds?
 


Water cycle diagram Clouds are the sky's way of moving water from one place to another.

Water on land or in the ocean evaporates, turning from a liquid to a gas called water vapor. The water vapor rises, cools, and then turns back into a liquid, forming tiny droplets. Enough of these droplets make a cloud. When the droplets come together, they combine to form bigger droplets. When they get big enough, they fall to the ground as rain. Or, if it's very cold, they freeze and come down as snow or sleet or hail. Meanwhile, the wind may have blown the cloud a long distance from where its water started. Besides moving water around from one place to another, clouds play a very important part in maintaining. What Are Clouds? (Grades K-4) - NASA

3). What does NASA do with the data we collect?


While NASA satellites collect a lot of data, they can’t see everything. Therefore, NASA needs help from people on the ground to complement the data obtained from satellites. NASA scientists use the data collected by students like you to do research. For example, NASA Data Scientist Ashlee Autore most recently looked at GLOBE data from the past two eclipses, submitted from all over the country. She used the data to identify any patterns or changes in clouds during the eclipse. The data you submit to GLOBE helps scientists get a ground-up view of the Earth, where satellites are a top-down view and can't capture all the same data that gets submitted through GLOBE.

4). Does NASA need our data?


YES! Satellites do collect important data; however, they can’t see everything. Sometimes satellites get a bit confused too. For example, when seeing something white, satellites may think that snow is a cloud. That’s where you come in. From the ground, you can help NASA scientists have more information that complements the data gathered by satellites.

5). How can the satellites see the clouds from outer space? Do you have special technology?


Yes! Satellites take pictures of Earth using special tools. Different things on Earth reflect or give off different kinds of light. The special tools measure these different kinds of light, including visible light that we can see, as well as infrared light that shows heat, even at night. These tools also convert the light they detect to electrical signals. Then, there are computers that change those electrical signals into pictures. Scientists add colors to these pictures to show details like clouds.

6). How long are the satellites in space?


Typically 5 to 15 years.

7). Why do we have to take pictures of the sky when we make our cloud observations?


Pictures of the sky help scientists have more information. Satellites gather images of clouds from above. Therefore, those images let us see the top of clouds. If there are clouds at different altitudes, those pictures will show only high clouds. Scientists would like to have photos of low clouds and photos of the base of clouds.

8). If fog is a cloud then why when it says the types of clouds it doesn't say fog is one of them?

Fog does show on the GLOBE Clouds Identification Chart!

Image credit: GLOBE

Fog forms when the air near the ground cools enough to turn its water vapor into liquid water or ice. Walking through fog is like walking through a cloud at ground level. The next photo shows fog at the top of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Image Credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

You can learn more about fog on the NASA Earthdata website.

9). If clouds are able to appear, how do they disappear? / Why are there only clouds in the air sometimes?


Tina