* GOES-16 data posted on this page are preliminary, non-operational and are undergoing testing*



GOES-16 CONUS Sector images (at 5-minute intervals)



During the total solar eclipse of 21 August 2017, the lunar umbra was evident on imagery from the GOES-16 0.5 km resolution (at satellite sub-point) “Red” Visible band ( 0.64 µm and 1.0 km resolution Near-Infrared “Vegetation” band ( 0.86 µm

The shadow was also prominent in other Visible and Near-Infrared bands, as shown in a 4-panel comparison of GOES-16 “Blue” Visible ( 0.47 µm , upper left), “Red” Visible (0.64 µm, upper right), “Vegetation” (0.86 µm, lower left) and “Snow/Ice” ( 1.61 µm , lower right) images

GOES-16 true-color Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images from the SSEC Geostationary Satellite siteshowed another view of the shadow. A GOES-16 Full-Disk true-color animation (courtesy of Kaba Bah, CIMSS) is available here ; a composite of eclipse shadow images can be seen

The 3.9 µm Shortwave Infrared band is also sensitive to reflected solar radiation — particularly that which is reflected from land surfaces and cloud tops composed of small spherical supercooled water droplets (and to a lesser extent, small ice crystals) — which causes this band to sense warmer (darker gray to black) brightness temperatures compared to the other ABI infrared bands. Therefore, a loss of sunlight within the eclipse shadow will lead to cooling (lighter shades of gray) 3.9 µm brightness temperatures

Taking a closer look at eastern Missouri and southern Illinois as the solar eclipse shadow was passing over that region shortly after 1800 UTC (1:00 pm local time), GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) imagesrevealed that the pronounced decrease of incoming solar radiation appeared to temporarily suppressed the development of widespread boundary layer cumulus clouds. Note that increase in hourly surface temperatures was also halted, with some locations even experiencing a slight cooling (1-3 ºF) due to reduction of heating within the lunar umbra.

GOES-16 Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) imagesalso showed a slight cooling — seen as a lighter shade of red enhancement — across the region.

GOES-16 Mesoscale Sector images (at 1-minute intervals)

A “floating” Mesoscale Sector provided 1-minute imagery during the eclipse

Polar-orbiting satellite images (Terra MODIS, and Suomi NPP VIIRS)

A toggle between Terra MODIS Visible (0.65 µm), Land Surface Temperature product, Shortwave Infrared (3.7 µm) and Infrared Window (11.0 µm) imagesshowed the eclipse shadow as it was centered over western Nebraska around 1748 UTC. Without a time series of MODIS Land Surface Temperature product images, it is difficult to gauge the exact amount of surface cooling brought about within the shadow of totality. A large-scale high resolution Terra MODIS Visible image is available here (courtesy of Liam Gumley, SSEC).

A comparison of Suomi NPP VIIRS Visible (0.64 µm), Day/Night Band (0.7 µm) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) imagesshowed the shadow center over eastern Tennessee around 1833 UTC. A closer comparison of Day/Night Band and Infrared imagesrevealed the presence of cloud features that made it difficult to see a signature of any city lights that may have come on in the Nashville TN (KBNA) metropolitan area.