Abstract
From the first photographs taken from V2 rockets in 1948 to recent observations by the EarthCare mission, satellite observation of clouds has undergone spectacular development in terms of spectral, spatial and temporal sampling. These observations enable us to delve deep into the physical processes that govern the life cycle of clouds, to better understand their impact on present and future climate. What are clouds, how do we characterize them, and what do they reveal about the atmosphere ? We'll see how satellites, by observing clouds on different time and space scales, help us to better understand them.