NESDIS education strives to provide educational material for teachers nationwide. Our goal is to help students understand the science behind satellite data and its impact on our world. Use the engaging educational resources, games, simulations, and videos below to help inspire the next generation of scientists.
Educational Resources Directory
A rainbow is caused by sunlight and atmospheric conditions. Light enters a water droplet, slowing down and bending as it goes from air to denser water. The light reflects off the inside of the droplet, separating into its component wavelengths--or colors. When light exits the droplet, it makes a rainbow.
Clouds and fog both form when water vapor condenses or freezes to form tiny droplets or crystals in the air, but clouds can form at many different altitudes while fog only forms near the ground.
Since ash plumes move with wind currents, weather forecasters use computer models to help predict where the plume will go next. Forecasters monitor ash plumes and make sure they are really going where the computers say they are. Also, forecasters evaluate how thick and dangerous the ash really is.
It is a sticky August night in Florida. Typical, but for one thing. Bright red and green curtains of light dance in the sky. Is the swamp on fire?
An aurora is a colorful light show in the sky caused by the Sun. Auroras happen when particles from the Sun interact with gases in our atmosphere, causing beautiful displays of light in the sky. Auroras are often seen in areas near the North Pole or South Pole.
The solar cycle is an approximately 11-year cycle experienced by the Sun. During the solar cycle, the Sun's stormy behavior builds to a maximum, and its magnetic field reverses. Then, the Sun settles back down to a minimum before another cycle begins.
A rainbow cloud can occur because of something called cloud iridescence. It usually happens in altocumulus, cirrocumulus, lenticular and cirrus clouds. Iridescent clouds happen because of diffraction – a phenomenon that occurs when small water droplets or small ice crystals scatter the sun's light.
All clouds are made up of basically the same thing: water droplets or ice crystals that float in the sky.
