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physics

NASA Earth Observatory

NASA Earth Observatory is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand NASA Earth Observatory rather than just read about it. In short: NASA Earth Observatory is an online publishing outlet for NASA which was created in 1999. It is the principal source of satellite imagery and other scientific information about the climate and the environment which are being provided by NASA for consumption by the general public.

NASA Earth Observatory — main illustration
NASA Earth Observatory — illustration

Key takeaways

  • NASA Earth Observatory belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect NASA Earth Observatory to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of NASA Earth Observatory from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NASA Earth Observatory is an online publishing outlet for NASA which was created in 1999. It is the principal source of satellite imagery and other scientific information about the climate and the environment which are being provided by NASA for consumption by the general public. It is funded with public money, as authorized by the United States Congress, and is part of the EOS Project Science Office located at Goddard Space Flight Center. As of 2006, NASA Earth Observatory has won the Webby People's Voice Award in Education three times. There were a series of publicized images issued by the website in 2008, including imagery of clouds streaming over the Caspian Sea, dust storms curling off the coast of Morocco, the crumbling of the Wilkins Ice Shelf, Hurricane Bertha, and others.

See also Earth observation Earth observation satellite Space exploration

References

External links Official website NASA

Illustrations

NASA Earth Observatory: Logo of the NASA Earth Observatory
Logo of the NASA Earth Observatory

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NASA Earth Observatory

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NASA Earth Observatory claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to NASA Earth Observatory before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about NASA Earth Observatory ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of NASA Earth Observatory

In research
NASA Earth Observatory appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses NASA Earth Observatory in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
NASA Earth Observatory is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical observatory stubs, Geophysical observatories, NASA online, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for NASA Earth Observatory outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study NASA Earth Observatory in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what NASA Earth Observatory means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain NASA Earth Observatory out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NASA Earth Observatory in simple terms?

NASA Earth Observatory is an online publishing outlet for NASA which was created in 1999. It is the principal source of satellite imagery and other scientific information about the climate and the environment which are being provided by NASA for consumption by the general public.

Why does NASA Earth Observatory matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study NASA Earth Observatory?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on NASA Earth Observatory.

Tags

  • Astronomical observatory stubs
  • Geophysical observatories
  • NASA online
  • Satellite imagery

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