VISSRGOES3IMVIS: GOES-3 Satellite Visible Imagery Scans

GOES-3 satellite imagery from 1978 through 1981 covers the hemisphere below its position at 135W longitude over the equator. This dataset consists of visible wavelength (0.55–0.70 µm) scans originally on 70mm film, now digitized into TIFF files containing 2-3 pictures each with annotations and a grayscale. Each full image covers approximately 500 sq km with a maximum resolution of 3.7 km per pixel.

Use Cases

• Analyzing historical cloud cover and storm systems based on visible imagery annotations.
• Calibrating modern satellite sensors by comparing with early geostationary image data.
• Training image restoration models on scanned film artifacts from the contrast enhancement and sectorization options described.
• Studying long-term climate trends in the Pacific region from the satellite's fixed longitudinal view.

Strengths

• Provides a specific historical time range (1978–1981) for the primary observation period.
• Includes detailed technical metadata within each image, such as a 33-level grayscale for brightness temperature and title data with coordinates and timing.
• Images have a defined maximum spatial resolution of 3.7 km and a coverage area of 500 sq km.

Limitations

• Conflicting metadata: 'last updated' dates are 1979-06-08 on one platform and 2026-04-09 on another, indicating potential provenance or refresh issues.
• Sparse column and row count metadata; the exact number of images or scans is unknown.
• Data originates from a multi-step analog-to-digital process (film scan), which may introduce artifacts.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS) and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Collection Method

Originally produced from digital tapes onto 70mm film using commercial equipment, later scanned to digital TIFF files.

Time Range

1978 to 1981 (primary observation period). Satellite was moved to final position in 1975.

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:10:51.990354

Geography

Hemisphere view from geostationary orbit at 135W longitude over the equator.