ESA Microsatellite Images Hurricane Isaac from Orbit

Although more than three years old, and not much larger than a coffee cup, the microimager aboard the European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-2 microsatellite is still capable of collecting wonderful images. This was made clear two days ago, when it captured a photo of Hurricane Isaac.

The Exploration Camera (X-Cam) instrument took the picture at 1138 GMT on August 27, while Isaac was moving over the Florida Panhandle, and into the Gulf of Mexico. Tough very capable, Proba-2 has a volume smaller than one cubic meter.

Hurricane Isaac, classified as a Category 1 Hurricane on Wednesday, August 29, elicited a great deal of interest, and numerous satellites belonging to several space agencies have acquired images targeting it.

“Observing in the visible and near-infrared with a 100º field of view, the monochrome X-Cam is housed on the underside of the microsatellite, one of 17 new technologies being demonstrated by Proba-2,” ESA says in a statement.