earth science

Nimbus 5

Nimbus 5 is a earth science 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 Nimbus 5 rather than just read about it. In short: Nimbus 5 (also called Nimbus E or Nimbus V) was a meteorological satellite for the research and development of sensing technology. It was the fifth successful launch in a series of the Nimbus program.

Key takeaways

Nimbus 5 belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nimbus 5 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nimbus 5 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Nimbus 5 (also called Nimbus E or Nimbus V) was a meteorological satellite for the research and development of sensing technology. It was the fifth successful launch in a series of the Nimbus program. The objective of Nimbus 5 was to test and evaluate advanced sensing technology, and to provide improved photographs of cloud formations.

Launch Nimbus 5 was launched on December 11, 1972, by a Delta rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The satellite orbited the Earth once every 107 minutes, at an inclination of 99°. Its perigee was 1,089 kilometers (677 mi) and its apogee was 1,101 kilometers (684 mi).

Instruments There were six science instruments aboard Nimbus 5. The satellite also included Sun sensors, and horizon scanners for navigation.

Infrared Temperature Profile Radiometer (ITPR) The ITPR was designed to obtain vertical profiles of temperature and moisture in the atmosphere. A 3-dimensional map could then be created with a resolution of 32 km.

Selective Chopper Radiometer (SCR) The SCR had three objectives: to observe the global atmospheric temperature structure, to observe the distribution of water vapor, and to measure the density of ice crystals in cirrus clouds. Its sensing resolution was about 25 km.

Nimbus E Microwave Spectrometer (NEMS) NEMS was used to demonstrate the use of microwave sensors for measuring tropospheric temperature profiles, water content in clouds, and surface temperature. The instrument monitored five selected frequencies continuously. The data were recorded on a magnetic tape so they could be transmitted later.

Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR)

ESMR was used for mapping the microwave radiation from Earth's surface. This information was used to measure the water content of clouds, and to observe sea ice. It was also used to test the use of microwaves to measure soil moisture. The antenna system was deployed after launch, and controlled by an onboard computer.

Surface Composition Mapping Radiometer (SCMR) For measuring the thermal emission characteristics of Earth's surface and sea temperatures. A scanning mirror rotated ten times per second to sense sections 800 km wide. SCMR malfunctioned soon after launch.

Temperature/Humidity Infrared Radiometer (THIR) THIR was used for measuring cloud top temperatures and water vapor content in the stratosphere. It could measure cloud temperatures in the day and at night. The sensing unit was a bolometer made from germanium.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nimbus 5

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nimbus 5 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, 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 Nimbus 5 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 Nimbus 5 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 Nimbus 5

In research: Nimbus 5 appears in earth science 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 Nimbus 5 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: Nimbus 5 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1972 in spaceflight, Spacecraft stubs, Weather satellites of the United States, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nimbus 5 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 Nimbus 5 in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Nimbus 5 in simple terms?

Why does Nimbus 5 matter?

Because it connects several earth science 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 Nimbus 5?

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 Nimbus 5.