MIRA's image database of approximately 100 gigabytes will be accessible over the network. Students can search the database to find visual and spectroscopic images in many wavelengths for any subject of interest. If existing data is unsatisfactory or procedural routine is to be taught, remote observing is the application of choice. Students will set up their own observing program, relaying coordinates and observing parameters to MIRA over the network. Weather permitting, the observations will be made that night by MIRA technicians.
Data is sent back to the school over the network the next day in time for analysis.
The San Lorenzo Valley River Watershed exemplar is the third NIE application in development by scientists and teacher-student teams. The Navy's FNOC in Monterey prepares worldwide weather and oceanographic forecasts every six hours. NOAA makes this data available to schools and other users. Students can call up air pressure contours on their computer screens, place them over an outline of a selected part of the world and watch the data change over time. Satellite data of cloud movements can be superimposed over the contours.