PACE Mission
Why in news ?
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is going to launch the PACE mission in 2024 to boost our understanding of Earth’s atmosphere.
About PACE Mission:
- The mission will employ advanced polarimeters to study the interplay of light, aerosols, and clouds, contributing to a deeper comprehension of their impact on air quality and climate.
- The PACE mission will not only analyse aerosols but also delve into studying the colour of the ocean.
- The primary science instrument for PACE is the Ocean Colour Instrument (OCI) which is designed to measure the ocean’s colour across a spectrum from ultraviolet to shortwave infrared.
What are aerosols?
- These include tiny particles like smoke, dust, and pollutants may seem inconspicuous, but they play a crucial role in influencing our climate.
- Aerosols absorb and scatter sunlight, determining the amount of solar energy reaching Earth’s surface.
Multi-angle Polarimeters:
- Radiometers used to measure how the oscillation of sunlight within a geometric plane – known as its polarization – is changed by passing through clouds, aerosols, and the ocean.
- Measuring polarization states of UV-to-shortwave light at various angles provides detailed information on the atmosphere and ocean, such as particle size and composition.
Source – NASA