1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,240 Thanks a lot Shelly. Hey, while you guys got connected to the web, Van and I met up with Dr. Ali Omar. 2 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:08,500 He's a scientist who studies the atmosphere using satellites, and 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:13,040 hopefully he'll be able to convince Van of the importance of keeping his car emissions low. 4 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:20,520 Thanks Jennifer. First of all, let me welcome you to Hampton University's computer lab, where some of our students are studying atmospheric science. 5 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:26,600 So Dr. Omar, how does Picasso Sena measure aerosols in the atmosphere? 6 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,800 Well Van, of all the aerosol measuring systems you have seen, 7 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:39,880 LiDAR, SAGE II, and the aerosol sampler used by students at St. Stephen's School have their uses, but they also have their limitations. 8 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:46,680 Picasso Sena is being developed for launch in 2003 to give us a more complete picture of our atmosphere. 9 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:54,640 The Picasso Sena mission will greatly improve our understanding of the nature and magnitude of radiative effects of aerosols and clouds. 10 00:00:55,400 --> 00:01:01,080 There are many uncertainties as to whether a cloud heats or cools the Earth's surface. 11 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:06,840 This is due to inadequate knowledge of how cloud layers are distributed within the atmosphere. 12 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:12,840 Picasso Sena will help us obtain more complete observations of cloud distributions and properties. 13 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:18,240 Picasso Sena will also use LiDAR in combination with an instrument called a spectrometer. 14 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:25,440 The spectrometer is a perceived remote sensing instrument that measures the radiance of scattered sunlight. 15 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:34,400 Using both LiDAR and spectrometer observations will provide us with a more accurate measure of aerosol and cloud properties than either technique alone. 16 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:44,160 Changes in climate are inevitable, but the rapid pace of change that may be starting to take place presents a potential threat to our planet. 17 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:51,960 The new knowledge from Picasso Sena will improve our ability to make accurate predictions about these changes. 18 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:57,160 Predictions to help world leaders define policies that affect us all. 19 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:03,360 So you see, Van, a little bit of emissions from your car combined with all the other emissions affect us all. 20 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:09,480 We know the world's population is growing and there are certain things we need to do now in order to protect our environment. 21 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:12,960 One of those things is getting your catalytic converter fixed. 22 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:16,560 Okay. Well, thank you very much, Dr. Omar, for all your help. 23 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:17,360 Thanks a lot, Dr. Omar. 24 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:17,960 You're welcome. 25 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:18,560 Appreciate it. 26 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:23,960 Well, we'd like to thank everyone who helped out with today's show, especially all the students who were in the program, 27 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:28,160 the NASA researchers, Hampton University, and of course, Dr. Shelley Canright. 28 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:34,160 If you would like a videotaped copy of this NASA Connect show and the Educator's Guide lesson plans, 29 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:38,560 contact CORE, the NASA Central Operation of Resources for Educators. 30 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:42,760 All this information and more is located on the NASA Connect website. 31 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:47,360 So, for Van and the rest of the NASA Connect crew, I'm Jennifer Pulley. 32 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:49,560 So, Van, what are you going to do?