Polar Ultraviolet Imager: Auroral Images from Spacecraft Altitude

The Ultraviolet Imager (UVI) is a small camera that detected and produced images of the ultraviolet light of the aurora, day and night. Key Parameter images are calculated at nominal 5-10 minute intervals at spacecraft altitudes above 6 Earth radii, forming a rectangular two-dimensional array of 228 rows by 200 columns. This dataset is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyze auroral morphology and dynamics based on calibrated ultraviolet radiance images.
• Study temporal patterns of auroral activity based on images captured at 5-10 minute intervals.
• Correlate auroral observations with other space weather data based on spacecraft altitude and location metadata.
• Validate models of magnetospheric processes based on background-subtracted ultraviolet imagery.

Strengths

• Images are calibrated to radiance values (photon cm^-2 cm^-1), providing quantitative data.
• Data is collected at a high temporal cadence, with images calculated at nominal 5-10 minute intervals.
• The archive provides reference images showing the instrument's field of view relative to continental outlines.

Limitations

• Only a circular region of the 228x200 rectangular array contains valid image data, limiting the usable area.
• Column-level documentation and sample data are unavailable, requiring manual inspection after download.
• Row count and total dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Images captured by the Ultraviolet Imager (UVI) camera on the Polar satellite.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 05:27:19.056934; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Auroral regions, observed from spacecraft altitudes above 6 Earth radii.