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Satellite Imagery

Definition

Satellite imagery refers to images of Earth or other planets collected by imaging satellites operated by governments and businesses around the world.

Analogy

Think of satellite imagery like a bird's eye view photo. Just as a bird flying high in the sky can see everything below, satellites orbiting Earth capture detailed pictures of our planet from space.

Related terms

Remote Sensing: This is the process of detecting and monitoring physical characteristics of an area by measuring its reflected and emitted radiation at a distance (typically from satellite or aircraft).

Georeferencing: This involves aligning geographic data to a known coordinate system so it can be viewed, queried, and analyzed with other geographic data.

Aerial Photography: This is taking photographs from an aircraft or other flying object. These photos provide a perspective that you cannot get from ground level.