Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Encyclopedia of Remote Sensing pp 581–585Cite as

Radiation, Galactic, and Cosmic Background

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:

  • 237 Accesses

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Definition

Galactic radiation. Electromagnetic radiation whose sources lie primarily within our galaxy.

Cosmic background. Radiation associated with the origin of the universe (“big bang”).

Introduction

Stars and other celestial objects outside our solar system contribute radiation that can be important for Earth remote sensing. In many directions, this radiation is small. In fact, for many applications the “heavens” are used as a cold reference source (“cold sky”). However, this radiation can also be strong enough to require compensation as an unwanted background signal. For example, this is the case in remote sensing of ocean salinity which is done at 1.4 GHz in the window set aside for radio astronomy applications. This background radiation can impact remote sensing of the Earth either as radiation directly to the sensor or as downwelling radiation that is reflected from the Earth surface to the sensor, and taking it into account can be complex because there are many sources of this...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD   329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Bibliography

  • Aquarius: Available from World Wide Web: http://aquarius.nasa.gov/

  • Arnal, E. M., Bajaja, E., Larrarte, J. J., Morras, R., and Pöppel, W. G. L., 2000. A high sensitivity HI survey of the sky at δ ≤−25°. Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series, 142, 35–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blume, H.-J. C., and Kendall, B. M., 1982. Passive microwave measurements of temperature and salinity in coastal zones. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, GE-20(3), 394–404.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartmann, D., and Burton, W. B., 1997. Atlas of Galactic Neutral Hydrogen. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haslam, C. G. T., Salter, C. J., Stoffel, H., and Wilson, W. E., 1982. A 408 MHz all-sky continuum survey II. The atlas of contour maps. Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series, 4, 1–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kraus, J. D., 1986. Radio Astronomy. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Le Vine, D. M., and Abraham, S., 2004. Galactic noise and passive microwave remote sensing from space at L-band. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 42(1), 119–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • NTIA, 2009. National Telecommunications and Information Administration: Available from World Wide Web: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/allochrt.html.

  • Reich, W., 1982. A radio continuum survey of the Northern Sky at 1420 MHz – Part 1. Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series, 48, 219–297.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reich, P., and Reich, W., 1986. A radio continuum survey of the Northern Sky at 1420 MHz – Part II. Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series, 63, 205–292.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reich, P., and Reich, W., 1988. A map of spectral indices of the galactic radio continuum emissions between 408 MHz and 1420 MHz for the entire Northern Sky. Astronomy and Astrophysics, Supplement Series, 74, 7–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reich, P., Testori, J. C., and Reich, W., 2001. A radio continuum survey of the Southern Sky at 1420 MHz. The atlas of contour maps. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 376, 861–877.

    Google Scholar 

  • Testori, J. C., Reich, P., Bava, J. A., Colomb, F. R., Hurrel, E. E., Larrarte, J. J., Reich, W., and Sanz, A. J., 2001. A radio continuum survey of the Southern Sky at 1420 MHz: observations and data reduction. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 368, 1123–1132.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Code 615, Cryopsheric Sciences Branch, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, 20771, Greenbelt, MD, USA

    David M. Le Vine

Authors
  1. David M. Le Vine
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David M. Le Vine .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

    Eni G. Njoku

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this entry

Cite this entry

Le Vine, D.M. (2014). Radiation, Galactic, and Cosmic Background. In: Njoku, E.G. (eds) Encyclopedia of Remote Sensing. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-36699-9_139

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation