MONITORING EARTH’S VITAL SIGNS

Flying 705 kilometers above the earth's surface, a satellite called Terra is conducting a comprehensive health examination of our world. Everything from clouds and plants to sunlight and temperature and fire and ice influences climate, and Terra is just beginning to collect this information every day over the entire earth. As the bus-size satellite circles the globe from pole to pole, its sensitive instruments track the planet's vital signs as each region comes into view.