GOES-19 is now the operational GOES-East satellite
GOES-16 became the operational GOES-East back in December of 2017 (link). At 1510 UTC, GOES-19 replaced by GOES-16 as the operational GOES-East. GOES-16 is now the back-up satellite for GOES-East and GOES-West, and will presently move to the storage position at 105oW. The animation below from the CSPP Geosphere site shows GOES-16 and then GOES-19 true-color imagery. There is a subtle color change that occurs between 1456 and 1506 UTC; a very subtle change in the brightness in the blue band (Band 1 at 0.47 µm) is also present. (This color change is discernible in GeoColor at the CIRA SLIDER, as shown in this side-by-side view from 1456 UTC — GOES-16 on the left, GOES-19 on the right). NOAA Scientists are investigating this difference.
