The AIM Cloud Imaging and Particle Size instrument (CIPS) is a panoramic imager that measures solar ultraviolet radiation scattered by the atmosphere back to the satellite. The fundamental measurement is an albedo, which is the measured radiance divided by the input solar irradiance. From the measured albedo, the presence and structure of PMCs and gravity waves (GWs) are derived. CIPS PMC data products include cloud albedo, particle radius, and ice water content. GWs can be inferred from the Rayleigh Albedo Anomaly (RAA) data product, which shows GW-induced albedo deviations from the background atmosphere. PMC and RAA images are available since May of 2007. Data products have
56.25 km2 spatial resolution and are available on a per-orbit basis; PMC data are also available as daily maps and as season-long summary files.