The China Meteorological Administration released on Thursday a first set of images taken by the satellite Fengyun-3E (FY-3E).

Unlike previous Fengyun satellites that only observed the Earth, FY-3E is equipped with advanced instruments that can observe the sun. 

The Solar X-ray and EXTREME Ultraviolet Imager is China's first space solar telescope and the world's first solar imager covering both X-ray and extreme ultraviolet wave ranges. Images it collected can be used to warn of the impact of solar activities on aerospace, telecommunications, navigation, power grids, oil pipelines and other infrastructure.

Equipped with 11 remote sensing payloads, the FY-3E is part of the Fengyun-3 series of meteorological satellites and is the first in the world to be sent into early morning orbit for civil service.

It is mainly tasked with obtaining atmospheric temperature, humidity and other meteorological parameters for numerical prediction applications, to improve China's weather forecast capacity. But it also monitors global snow and ice coverage, sea surface temperatures, natural disasters and ecology to better respond to climate change and prevent and mitigate meteorological disasters. To meet the needs for space weather forecasts and supporting services, the satellite is monitoring solar and space environments and their effects, as well as ionospheric data.

Watch this video from Weather China, the China Meteorological Administration's online weather service, to find out more.

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