Prediction of the Sun-Glint Locations for the Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite

Abstract

For the Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite (COMS) which will be launched in 2008, an algorithm for finding the precise location of the sun-glint point on the ocean surface is studied. The precise locations of the sun-glint are estimated by considering azimuth and elevation angles of Sun-satellite-Earth geometric position and the law of reflection. The obtained nonlinear equations are solved by using the Newton-Raphson method. As a result, when COMS is located at 116.2°E or 128.2°E longitude, the sun-glint covers region of ±10° (N-S) latitude and 80-150° (E-W) longitude. The diurnal path of the sun-glint in the southern hemisphere is curved towards the North Pole, and the path in the northern hemisphere is forwards the south pole. The algorithm presented in this paper can be applied to predict the precise location of sun-glint region in any other geostationary satellites.

Keywords

• communication ocean and meteorological satellite (COMS)
• geostationary-orbit
• sun-glint