Stop! You can observe right now…
Geostationary (GEO) data is gathered and processed much more frequently than CERES data, therefore observations at almost any time of day have a good chance of being matched to GEO satellite data. Since GEO data comes from different satellites, match times will vary from one ground location to another. Once you receive matches, look for patterns in observation time to determine when best to observe.

To match to CERES data specifically…
The CERES instrument rides on three satellites Terra, Aqua, and NPP. The Terra overpass is in the morning, generally between 10 am and noon. The Aqua and NPP overpasses are in the afternoon, generally between 1 and 3 pm.

The CloudSat and CALIPSO satellites also overpass in the afternoon and provide supplementary images to our CERES data. They see only a small sliver of the Earth on each orbit, so there are some sections of the Earth in which images are not produced.

Please provide the information below to generate the overpass times for a particular satellite in your location.

If you do not get a result, please go back to the form and double check that the latitude and longitude are entered correctly in the boxes.

Please note: We have updated our satellite overpass request system. The starting date and ending date of your observation period is no longer needed. The new satellite overpass request system will generate a 14 day prediction of satellite overpass times from the day of your request. Overpasses are not calculated beyond 2 weeks to avoid inaccurate results.

Once you have selected "Send Overpass Schedule," it will take a few seconds to generate the report. A minimized version of the Overpass Schedule will appear in your browser. You will also receive the full schedule via e-mail.