Image of Hurricane Camille generated by means of computer processing of data supplied by the Nimbus 3 meteorological satellite. By observing hurricanes in colour, meteorologists can determine cloud heights using cloud temperatures. For example, ground or sea surface temperatures, or low clouds, appear purple; middle clouds appear yellow; high clouds appear blue; while the highest clouds, in the eye of the hurricane, appear gray. Nimbus 3 was launched April 14, 1969.


By courtesy of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration