First results from the Spatial Heterodyne Imager for Mesospheric Radicals (SHIMMER): Diurnal variation of mesospheric hydroxyl

We present the first SHIMMER observations of the diurnal variation of mesospheric hydroxyl (OH). We compare our data with Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) observations at about 13h local time near 55 degrees N and find very good agreement. This validates the Spatial Heterodyne Spectroscopy technique for space-borne optical remote sensing applications. We extend our analysis to other local times, not observed by MLS, for latitudes near 55 degrees N in the summer of 2007. At 74 km, we find excellent agreement with a photochemical model, but above 76 km, significant model/data differences in the shape of the OH diurnal variation are observed.