Temperature measurements in the Earth's stratosphere using a limb scanning visible light spectrometer

Abstract
The temperature of the earth's atmosphere between 40 and 50 km is inferred from measurements of Rayleigh scattered sunlight by a visible‐light spectrometer on the Solar Mesosphere Explorer spacecraft. The RMS deviation of the satellite measurements from conventional rocket measurements is 5°K above 45 km and 2‐3°K below 45 km. The satellite data are compared to model temperatures for March, 1982.