Looking Back, Looking Forward: Scientific and Technological Advances in Multiangle Imaging of Aerosols and Clouds.

Passive optical multiangle observations enable retrieval of information about atmospheric structure than cannot be obtained with single-angle sensors. This paper highlights several applications to studies of aerosols and clouds, using data from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), currently in its 17^th year in Earth orbit aboard NASA's Terra spacecraft, and the airborne Multiangle SpectroPolarimetric Imager (AirMSPI), which flies aboard NASA's ER-2 high-altitude aircraft. The recently selected Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols (MAIA), which will launch into Earth orbit early in the next decade, is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]