,
Figure 3 shows an example flight path and
CAR image over Bartlett, New Hampshire.
Unlike any ground based BRDF measuring
instrument, which characterizes BRDF over an
area no larger than tens of meters in diameter,
CAR can survey the BRDF characteristics of a
region on the order of kilometers in diameter.
A complete circular orbit by the aircraft,
defined by two solar disks in the image, allows
the CAR to image the surface and sky in all
viewing zenith and azimuthal angles, and covers
an area defined by a diameter of 2–4 km on the
surface. Note that in the backscattering direction
(between the solar discs), the surface looks
brighter than the forward direction (surface
below the solar disc).