The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R Magnetometer Subsystem (MAG) is an instrument suite that supports mission objectives by:
- Measuring the magnitude and direction of Earth's ambient magnetic field in the geosynchronous equatorial orbit.
- Measuring the general level of geomagnetic activity.
- Detecting magnetopause crossings, sudden storm commencements, and sub-storms.
- Mapping the space environment that controls charged particle dynamics in the outer region of the magnetosphere.
Magnetometer data from GOES satellites prior to 2017 can be found on the GOES 1–15 page.
Product Details
The Level-1b data are the fully calibrated and full resolution data in physical units. Level-2+ data are higher order data products that vary by instrument. Example Python codes provide syntax to wget to download multiple files, to read and use certain data products in Python.
Level-1b Data Access
The Level-1b data are the fully calibrated, full-resolution data in physical units. Level-1b geomagnetic field measurements are provided as B field vectors in the following:
- Earth-Centered Inertial (ECI)
- Earthward-Poleward-Normal/Eastward (EPN)
- Body Reference Frame (BRF)
- Attitude Control Reference Frame (ACRF)
L1b Data Access Table
L2 Data Access
Level-2 data are higher order data products and include high-resolution and 1-minute averages of B field vectors in the ECI, EPN, BRF, ACRF, Geocentric Solar Ecliptic (GSE), Geocentric Solar Magnetospheric (GSM), and Dipole Aligned (VDH) coordinate systems. Additional Level 2 products include: 1-min averages in different coordinate systems.
Level-2 Data Access Table
| Product | MAG L2 Satellite Data | Product Description |
|---|---|---|
| Full Resolution | Full resolution magnetic field readings in different coordinate systems | |
| 1-min Averages | Averages of 10 Hz magnetometer field readings | |
| 1-min Averages Science Quality | Averages of 10 Hz magnetometer field readings, inboard sensor data is corrected for the solar Beta angle |
GOES-R Background
The GOES-R series, which launched in Nov 2016, is the most recent generation of GOES satellites. Currently, the GOES-R series has 2 operational satellites in geosynchronous orbit (located at 75.2W - GOES-East, and 137.2W - GOES-West) providing the most advanced measurements of terrestrial, space and solar weather simultaneously.
Magnetometers (MAG)Instrument Description
Magnetometers (MAG) are GOES-R Series space weather instruments that monitor three components of the geomagnetic field at L = 6.6 with a resolution of 0.016 nT and time scales up to its 5 Hz Nyquist frequency. The GOES-R MAG capability enables the study of Pc1 to Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations at geostationary orbit. Learn more about the GOES-R series magnetometers at https://www.goes-r.gov/spacesegment/mag.html.
