CUPOLA / EARTH OBSERVATORY
A planet in constant motion.
From the curve of a continent to the edge of a cloud system, CUPOLA connects a cinematic 3D planet with traceable observations and honest science.
What is actually being shown?
The 3D globe uses different sources for different questions. Surface textures can be historical; cloud layers have their own observation times and regional limitations; sunlight and satellite orbits are calculated. The observation timestamp, rendering timestamp and model validity time are not interchangeable.
Clouds from space
Geostationary cloud imagery covers selected observed footprints. Additional modelled or visual sources may fill gaps; CUPOLA labels those differences instead of calling every cloud a live photograph.
Daylight and the terminator
The line between day and night follows calculated Sun-Earth geometry. It changes continuously; this is astronomy, not a continually refreshed surface camera.
Night lights
VIIRS nighttime radiance imagery can include historic composites and daily gap-filled products. Each scene is distinguished from a same-minute observation.
Spacecraft context
CUPOLA propagates published orbital elements through SGP4 to estimate spacecraft positions; this is a prediction rather than direct satellite telemetry.