
Being in space means you get to view spectacular images of the earth thousands of miles away. But for those who are yet to undertake their space adventure, America's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released new video shows storms quickly intensifying and forming into an impressive line across the US Plains.
The data from GOES17 was sent on May 9, 2018, and released by NOAA on Monday.
"The second Geostationary Lightning Mapper to ever reach orbit has shared its first images. This initial imagery from NOAA’s recently launched #GOES17 satellite captures a line of severe storms over the Plains," NOAA's tweet said.
The clip has received more than 1,400 likes so far. Some of the Twitter users said they can 'watch it for hours', while others called it 'sorcery'.
The Geostationary Lightning Mapper onboard GOES-17, like the one on board NOAA GOES East, is transmitting data never previously available to forecasters. The mapper observes lightning in the Western Hemisphere, giving forecasters an indication of when a storm is forming, intensifying and becoming more dangerous.
During heavy rain, GLM data can show when thunderstorms are stalled or if they are gathering strength. When combined with radar and other satellite data, GLM data will help forecasters anticipate severe weather and issue flood and flash flood warnings sooner.
Data from GLM will serve an essential role in helping to keep American lives and property safe when GOES-17 is positioned in its operational GOES West position, where it will cover a vast swath of the data-sparse Pacific Ocean and monitor high-risk wildfire-prone areas in the Western US.