Earth loses energy to space in the form of longwave (or infrared) radiation. Much of this energy is radiated through the transparent portion of the water vapor rotational band from 17 to 33 μm (300 to 600 cm-1). Very few measurements have been made in this spectral region to characterize how water vapor absorbs and emits longwave radiation. An Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) with extended longwave spectral coverage has been deployed at the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) ice station 300 miles north of the Alaskan coast to measure downwelling radiances at wavelengths of 3 to 26 μm (380 to 3000 cm-1). The spectral and radiometric performance of the instrument, installation at the ice station, and initial observations are shown. Comparisons to line-by-line radiative transfer calculations for selected clear-sky cases are presented, and air-broadened water vapor continuum absorption coefficients are determined in the wing of the pure rotational band from 17 to 26 μm (380 to 600 cm-1). Comparisons of the coefficients with the widely used Clough Kneizys Davies (CKD) water vapor continuum model suggest empirical modifications to this model are necessary. Comparisons to laboratory measurements of Burch et al. <1974> made at room temperature suggests little or no temperature dependence of the continuum from 400 to 550 cm-1. Implications of these modifications on top-of-atmosphere and surface fluxes, as well as atmospheric cooling rates, are discussed. ¿ 1999 American Geophysical Union