Areas where the ozone is depleting can be observed using this optic spectrograph and infrared imager. Scientists use it to produce maps on concentrations of aerosols and nitrogen dioxide, two major sources of atmospheric pollution. OSIRIS also provides daily, monthly, and annual height profile maps of ozone for a given area.
No one's claiming that OSIRIS is the reincarnation of an Egyptian god! However, the international scientific community has been using this instrument since its launch in 2001 because of its ability to observe the ozone from space. Canada's OSIRIS, onboard the Swedish satellite Odin, captures detailed data on ozone depletion, especially at high latitudes and over Canada.
|
OSIRIS (Photo: University of Saskatchewan) |