VJ203IMG_NRT: VIIRS/JPSS2 Terrain-Corrected Geolocation Swath

NASA's VJ203IMG_NRT product provides near real-time, terrain-corrected geolocation data for the VIIRS instrument aboard the NOAA-21 (JPSS-2) satellite. It contains derived line-of-sight vectors and geodetic coordinates for each 375-meter image-resolution pixel, including latitude, longitude, surface height, and solar/sensor angles. This dataset is a fundamental input for generating higher-level VIIRS I-band environmental products.

Use Cases

• Precise georeferencing of VIIRS imagery based on terrain-corrected latitude and longitude coordinates.
• Calculating solar and sensor illumination geometry for atmospheric correction using the provided zenith and azimuth angles.
• Masking land and water features in satellite imagery using the included land/water mask.
• Validating and improving geolocation accuracy for downstream environmental data products.

Strengths

• Geolocation accuracy validated on-orbit, with post-correction uncertainties within 75 m (1-sigma) in both scan directions.
• Provides a fundamental, terrain-corrected input for multiple higher-level VIIRS data products.
• Dataset is hosted and maintained by NASA, indicating authoritative provenance.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are not provided on any platform.
• The listed last update date (2026-04-09) is in the future, casting doubt on the accuracy of this timestamp.
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without further details.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Derived from the VIIRS sensor on the Joint Polar-orbiting Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2/NOAA-21) platform using ephemeris, attitude data, and digital terrain models.

Freshness

2026-04-09 20:45:50.847649 (Note: This date is in the future and may be erroneous)

Geography

Global swath coverage from a polar-orbiting satellite.