Lecture 13: Remote Estimation of the

Temperature and Size of an Unresolved Object in

Space
Part I: Problem Statement and Background

Background
Missiles or satellites operaBng in space can sense
and measure infrared radiaBon on objects located remote
to the sensor 100s or even 1000s of kilometers from
each other. These objects are only seen as point sources
of light.
For cool objects at say around room temperature,
radiate most of their infrared energy in Long-Wave
Infrared (LWIR) wavelengths in the range of say 6 microns
to 11 microns (a micron is 10-6 m).
If the sensor has mulBple bands in the LWIR bands,
then even though the objects only appears as a point,
these two measurements.
The Navy SM-3 missile for missile defense has a long-
wave sensor. You can see how it works through he ling
below. It sensor is operaBonal in the video at about 133
seconds.
h"ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiVfC41URls

Star Classes by Temperature

If one looks up at the night
sky one can discern color
dierences in stars.
Stars vary in color according
to their temperatures. Very cool
stars, e.g., Red Giants, are red.
Very hot stars say above
10,000K glow blue and even violet
at very high temperatures. Our
sun is yellow and has a
temperature of about 6000K.
The Planck FuncBon dictates
the spectral content of radiaBon
emi"ed by various temperature
objects.
3

The Planck Function

Thermal radia+on power of a black body per unit of area,
unit of solid angle and unit of frequency

h"p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_radiaBon

Sensor and Physics

Cassegrain Telescope
(all reecBve opBcs)

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Sensed
Image

LWIR Telescope

Next:
Part II: Sensor Measurement
Model