NOAA satellites provide world-class imagery and information about our dynamic planet 24/7. Their existence has become so commonplace that it’s hard to imagine a time when we didn’t have Earth-observing capabilities to provide us with the vital environmental information NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service uses on a daily basis.
Long before the Space Age, people throughout history DID imagine what the earth looked like from above. We are thankful for these dreamers who helped inspire a curiosity for the world around us, and to reach for the stars and make their dreams possible.
And these dreamers weren’t just scientists; individuals with a wide array of expertise—engineers, mathematicians, environmental experts, artists, communications specialists, and more—all took the time to look up and wonder.
One of these many dreamers was Dr. Harry Wexler, a meteorologist who worked for the U.S. Weather Bureau from 1934 until his untimely death in 1962. Before the days of weather satellites, he was a strong proponent of the idea that satellites would be of “great value” for both warning people about approaching severe weather and gathering information about the atmosphere.
With the encouragement of writer Arthur C. Clarke (of “2001: A Space Odyssey” fame), Wexler commissioned an unknown artist to draw what a satellite might “see” from orbit in 1954—approximately four years before the launch of the first U.S. satellite, Explorer-1.
The result (shown below) was a remarkable colored drawing of a weather system over North America that, considering it was produced years before the first satellite went into space, isn't too far off from what we see in today’s actual satellite imagery. The painting now hangs on a conference room wall in NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Over the course of the 1950s, Dr. Wexler publicized his ideas after a series of discussions about the future of technology with Clarke. During his talks around the country, Wexler would use a black and white version of the image for slide deck presentations, and “...made a strong claim for the utility of a meteorological satellite, not only as a “storm patrol” but also… as a tool with global capabilities.”
Thus, the correspondence between the scientist, writer, and artist helped lead to a new area of meteorology, one that would take global weather patterns more fully into consideration that would in turn improve U.S. capabilities and predictions.
This Thanksgiving, we want to honor the visionaries that worked together to bring us the very best in cutting-edge science and technology. And most of all, we are thankful that we don’t have to imagine what our Earth looks like from above anymore!
Wishing you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving.