POES is an acronym for Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite. These satellite images are unlike the usual images that you see on the GOES series of satellites. GOES also is an acronym which stands for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite. These are located above the equator at an altitude of 22,240 miles and orbit at the same speed the earth rotates which makes them stationary to a position of the earth, hence the name "Geostationary."
The POES are in a much lower earth orbit (LEO) and orbit from the north pole to the south pole to the north pole at an altitude of 505 to 700 miles above the surface. Their orbital period is about 101 minutes and will pass over a certain location twice a day.
The advantages of the POES are the better resolution of any particular image area and the ability to view the polar region which are not visible to the GOES spacecrafts. Also, the ability to monitor sea surface temperatures are greatly enhanced by POES measurements.
These satellite images are received and processed at WTOC-TV, Savannah, GA
