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To get the
clearest image possible, satellite sensors are typically created to be most
sensitive to photons with a wavelength in an “atmospheric window”, where
atmospheric transmissivity is at its highest
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This way, more photons reach the
satellite sensor, translating into a stronger electrical signal from which to
create an image
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However, sensors
can also make use of the fact that a certain molecule (such as water vapor,
ozone or carbon dioxide) creates a lower atmospheric transmissivity
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By making a satellite sensor that
receives photons from these non-window regions, images are created that show
variations in the molecular composition of the atmosphere
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Example: Water vapor imagery is created by looking near the 6.7 micron
wavelength, where atmospheric water vapor absorbs many of the outgoing
photons
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