# Al Gore's satelite.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gores-satelite/733007>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 30, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gores-satelite/733007 "2015-09-30T02:42:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gores-satelite/733007/1 "2015-09-30T02:42:45Z")

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It’s this thing.

[DSCOVR](http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/DSCOVR/)

and it’s supposed to have an[EPIC camera.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Space_Climate_Observatory#EPIC)

As I understand it, it’s supposed to be like a primitive ‘Google Earth Live’ I can’t seem to find a link to the webcam, or whatever the correct term might be.

Anyone familiar with this?

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**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gores-satelite/733007/2 "2015-09-30T03:13:57Z")

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I am a little familiar with it. By coincidence, this system came up last week in a class I’m taking. While we wait for **Stranger on a Train** or some other subject matter expert to come by, I think I can help a little.

There isn’t a webcam to access. I don’t think there is a video camera at all. The “videos” you see are just the result of combining several pictures in sequence. And though it might be able to take more than 1 image per second, it’s still nothing close to video. In addition to that, each individual color photo requires preprocessing and additional work to combine separate images taken at different wavelengths into one color photo. I am not sure how to access the information from NASA, but it wouldn’t be of much use to you and an account probably doesn’t come cheap.

The closest thing to what it sounds like you are looking for is LandSat imagery. Landsat database is available for free, but you have to get registered to gain access. Information for getting an account can be found here:  
[http://geo.arc.nasa.gov/sge/landsat/daccess.html#l7US](http://geo.arc.nasa.gov/sge/landsat/daccess.html#l7US)

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**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gores-satelite/733007/3 "2015-09-30T03:40:51Z")

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If you are interested in the EPIC images, here is the only reference I found regarding them:

> [@](#):
>
> - These initial Earth images show the effects of sunlight scattered by air molecules, giving the images a characteristic bluish tint. The EPIC team now is working on a rendering of these images that emphasizes land features and removes this atmospheric effect. Once the instrument begins regular data acquisition, new images will be available every day, 12 to 36 hours after they are acquired by EPIC. These images will be posted to a dedicated web page by September.

From [here](https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/d/dscovr#mission-status). Haven’t seen any sign of this webpage yet and it’s late September in Twenty-Fifteen.

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**Author:** ![McDoogins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@McDoogins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDoogins)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gores-satelite/733007/4 "2015-09-30T04:42:30Z")

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Soon he’ll have a fortress of solitude.