The European polar-orbiting satellite Metop-A delivered its first images Oct. 25, the first day the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) was operational.

An agreement between NOAA and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, or EUMETSAT, coordinates the activities of respective polar satellites to improve coverage of weather and climate conditions.

The AVHRR instrument detects reflected solar energy and radiated thermal energy from land, sea, clouds and the atmosphere.