File:GOES-17 Captures Woolsey Fire in Southern California (44969954265).png

English: GOES-17 arrived at its operational location of 137.2 degrees west longitude on November 13, 2018 and began sending first images from its new vantage point over the Pacific Ocean. This GOES-17 GeoColor imagery shows an area of clouds streaming over a thick plume of brown smoke from the Woolsey Fire in southern California, on November 13, 2018. This image is preliminary and non-operational, as the satellite has not been declared operational yet.

Launched on March 1, 2018, GOES-17 has been undergoing post-launch checkout and testing for the past several months and was recently handed over from the GOES-R Series Program to NOAA’s Office of Satellite and Product Operations. GOES-17 will undergo additional testing in its new location before entering into operational service as NOAA’s GOES West satellite on December 10, 2018. GOES-17 joins its sister satellite, GOES-16, which is operating in the GOES East position. Together, the two satellites view more than half the Earth in high-definition – from the west coast of Africa to New Zealand.

Image credit: NOAA/CIRA