SeaSTAR
NASA Science ·
Overview SeaSTAR, which stands for Sea-going Sky-Scanning Sun-tracking Atmospheric Research Radiometer, is a robotic ship-mounted instrument designed to measure aerosol optical depth and aerosol optical properties across multiple wavelengths. The instrument will collect high-resolution atmospheric measurements at sea to support validation of observations from the PACE satellite. What is SeaSTAR? SeaSTAR aims to provide precise […] The post SeaSTAR appeared first on NASA Science .
Home Who We Are Who We Are Full Staff List (SG) Earth Science Project Office (ESPO) Airborne Science Office (ASP) What We Do Research Topics Stories Features Highlights Publications Science Nuggets Awards & Recognition Visiting Science Contact Us SeaSTAR SeaSTAR (Sea-going Sky-Scanning Sun-tracking Atmospheric Research Radiometer) is a ship-based instrument for aerosol characterization over the ocean. SeaSTAR aims to provide multi-spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD) and aerosol optical properties using a custom-built robotic sun/sky photometer.
TYPE Radiometry and Atmospheric Remote Sensing
Active [CONFIRM DATES]
Stephen Broccardo
[PLACEHOLDER]
This is the SeaSTAR satellite – do we have a good photo of the SeaSTAR instrument we can use here?
Overview
SeaSTAR, which stands for Sea-going Sky-Scanning Sun-tracking Atmospheric Research Radiometer, is a robotic ship-mounted instrument designed to measure aerosol optical depth and aerosol optical properties across multiple wavelengths. The instrument will collect high-resolution atmospheric measurements at sea to support validation of observations from the PACE satellite.
What is SeaSTAR?
SeaSTAR aims to provide precise measurements of atmospheric aerosols using a custom-built robotic sun/sky photometer designed to operate from moving research vessels. The instrument measures sunlight and polarized sky radiance across multiple wavelengths to retrieve aerosol optical depth and other aerosol properties. These ship-based observations will be used to validate atmospheric measurements collected by NASA’s PACE satellite.
SeaSTAR Science Objectives
Aerosols in the atmosphere strongly influence the signals satellites receive when observing the ocean. Because the ocean surface is relatively dark, most of the light detected by space-based sensors actually comes from the atmosphere rather than the ocean itself. Accurately quantifying aerosols is therefore essential for separating atmospheric signals from ocean signals in satellite observations. SeaSTAR addresses this challenge by measuring direct solar radiation and polarized skylight using a high-precision photometer and polarimeter on the ocean surface. These measurements provide detailed information about aerosol optical depth and aerosol properties across a wide spectral range, enabling researchers to test and improve the algorithms used to interpret satellite data.
Together, these areas of research will answer:
What can SeaSTAR teach us about how satellites see the ocean?
Because most of the light satellites detect over the ocean comes from the atmosphere, measuring aerosols from ships helps scientists confirm that satellite data are interpreted correctly. This improves our ability to monitor marine ecosystems and atmospheric conditions from space.
Technical report/abstract of SeaSTAR
Ames Sunphotometer Satellite Group Learn more about the Ames Sunphotometer Satellite Group that SeaSTAR is part of
PACE Mission Learn more about the PACE mission and how SeaSTAR is contributing to the PACE validation efforts
SeaSTAR Stories Blog 3 Min Read Stephen Broccardo: A ‘STAR’ in PACE Data Collection
Article 1 Min Read A Sea of Data: The PACE Mission
Article 6 Min Read By Air and by Sea: Validating NASA’s PACE Ocean Color Instrument
Article 5 Min Read Early Adopters of NASA’s PACE Data to Study Air Quality, Ocean Health
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