Initial report on polar mesospheric cloud observations by Himawari-8

Abstract

We provide an initial report on polar mesospheric cloud (PMC) observations by the Japanese Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) meteorological satellite Himawari-8. Heights of the observed PMCs were estimated to be 80-82 km. Observed PMCs were active only during summertime in both the northern and southern polar regions. These observations are consistent with known PMC behavior. From its almost fixed location relative to the Earth, Himawari-8 is capable of continuously monitoring PMC every 10 min with three visible bands: Blue (0.47 μm), green (0.51 μm), and red (0.64 μm). Thus, Himawari-8 can contribute to PMC research in the near future.