satellite imagery
Space-based Earth views
Satellite imagery refers to photographs or visual data of Earth's surface captured by orbiting satellites.
These images serve countless purposes: weather forecasting, military surveillance, mapping, environmental monitoring, and tracking urban development.
Satellite imagery revealed the extent of deforestation in the Amazon.
The term encompasses everything from Google Earth views to classified reconnaissance photographs.
Observing natural systems systematically
- urban planningMunicipal development coordination
- agricultureCultivation of land, livestock
- forestryManaging wooded land
- disaster responseOrganized aid after catastrophe
deforestation · weather forecasting · climate research · archaeology · cartography · humanitarian aid
Formal decision or determination
- pixelsDisplay's smallest points
- bandsMusical performing groups
- spectralGhostlike or wavelength-related
- multispectralSpanning several wavelength ranges
hyperspectral · panchromatic · thermal · radar · SAR · radiometric · bit depth · georeferencing
Information-gathering before action
- surveillanceSystematic observation of subjects
- defenseProtection against harm
- national securitySafeguarding a country's interests
- militaryArmed forces collectively
observation · monitoring · tracking · targeting · verification · border security · strategic · tactical
Curved celestial path
- passMove beyond or decline
- revisitExamine again later
- swathWide strip or area
- downlinkSpacecraft-to-Earth transmission
archive · tasking · coverage · ground station
Systematic grouping by traits
- supervisedDirected with oversight
- unsupervisedWithout oversight or guidance
- ground truthEmpirically confirmed actual information
- training dataInput for machine learning
time series · pattern recognition · machine learning · mosaicking
environmental monitoring
Observing natural systems systematically
- urban planningMunicipal development coordination
- agricultureCultivation of land, livestock
- forestryManaging wooded land
disaster response · deforestation · weather forecasting · climate research · archaeology · cartography · humanitarian aid
resolution
Formal decision or determination
- pixelsDisplay's smallest points
- bandsMusical performing groups
- spectralGhostlike or wavelength-related
multispectral · hyperspectral · panchromatic · thermal · radar · SAR · radiometric · bit depth · georeferencing · albedo
reconnaissance
Information-gathering before action
- surveillanceSystematic observation of subjects
- defenseProtection against harm
- national securitySafeguarding a country's interests
military · observation · monitoring · tracking · targeting · verification · border security · strategic · tactical
orbit
Curved celestial path
downlink · archive · tasking · coverage · ground station
classification
Systematic grouping by traits
- supervisedDirected with oversight
- unsupervisedWithout oversight or guidance
- ground truthEmpirically confirmed actual information
training data · time series · pattern recognition · machine learning · mosaicking
- desert researchsand dunes, drought, aridity, desertification, erosion
- geospatial analysisGIS, remote sensing, terrain analysis, coordinate systems, map projections
- geoscience datacore samples, bathymetry, terrain maps, cross sections, volcanic activity
- polar scienceglaciology, Antarctic research, ice shelf, Arctic, ice caps
- precision agricultureremote sensing, hyperspectral, LiDAR, UAV, multispectral
- terrain methodsterrain analysis, field surveys, surveying, mapping, LiDAR
satellite imagerydirect observation
Watching something personally occur
eyewitness account · site visit · human intelligence · field survey
image, satellite, images, imaginable, imagery, satellites, imaging, imagistic, imagers