UNIT 3: Sensor and Platform
RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION
• “The ability of an imaging system to record fine details in a distinguishable
manner” (Estes and Simonett, 1975)
• In general, resolution is defined as the ability of an entire remote-sensing
system, including lens, antennae, display, exposure, processing, and other
factors, to render a sharply-defined image.
• Resolution of a remote-sensing system is of different types.
1. Spatial ( objects in ground)
2. Spectral ( portion of EMR)
3. Radiometric ( level of signal)
4. Temporal (Sensor Visit)
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
• Spatial resolution is a term that refers to the number of pixels utilized in construction of a
digital image.
• It refers to the size of smallestpossible feature that can be detected.
• Images having higher spatial resolution are composed with a greater number of pixels than those
of lower spatial resolution.
SPECTRAL RESOLUTION
• Spectral resolution describes the ability of the sensor to define
fine wavelength intervals.
• B/W (Panchromatic) sensor which covers a wide spectral range,
the visible portion of EM spectrum has course (lower) spectral
resolution because it records entire visible portion not
individual bands. But in color image spectral resolution is fine
(higher) because it records reflected energy at blue, green and
red wavelength of spectrum.
RADIOMETRIC RESOLUTION
• Radiometric Resolution Refers to the ability of a sensor to detect differences in energy
magnitude.
• It is often called contrast.
• It describes the ability of the sensor to measure the signal strength or brightness of objects.
• The finer the radiometric resolution of a sensor, the more sensitive it is to detecting small
differences in energy. The more levels, the more detail can be expressed. Most remote sensing
imagery recorded with quantized levels in the 0 – 255 (8-bit) range.
Temporal Resolution
• Temporal resolution is defined as the amount of time needed to
revisit and acquire data for the exact same location.
• Landsat: 16 days
• MODIS: 14 days
• Sentinel: 10 days
ORBIT
The path followed by a satellite is referred to as its Orbit. It is circular
path described by the satellite in its revolution about the earth. Orbit
selection can vary in terms of altitude (their height above the Earth's
surface) and their orientation and rotation relative to the Earth.
Satellite Orbit
• Sun-Synchronous orbit
• A sun-synchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth, where the
movement of the satellite always looks the same when viewed
from the Sun.
• These orbits are used for satellites that need a constant amount
of sunlight. Satellites that take pictures of the Earth would work
• best with bright sunlight.
• The satellites always fly over a particular section always at a
specific local time. Most satellites in this orbit cross the equator
at mid-morning at around 10:30 am.
• satellites orbit at an altitude between 600 to1000 km
• orbital inclination measured against equatorial plane i.e. 98 to 99
degree
• TRACE, Hinode and PROBA2
Satellite Orbit
• Geostationary orbit
• A Satellite in geostationary orbit appears to remain in the same
spot in the sky all the time. Really, it is simply travelling at
exactly the same speed as the Earth is rotating below it, but it
looks like it is staying still regardless of the direction in which it
travels, east or west.
• Each satellite can only cover about 25-30% of the earth’s surface.
Geostationary satellites are always located directly above the
equator with a zero angle of inclination. Geostationary orbit,
therefore, is really just a special type of equatorial orbit. This
allows the satellite to observe and collect information
continuously over specific areas.
• at 36,000 km. Geostationary orbits, therefore, are also known as
high orbits.
• GEOS, METEOSAT, INSAT
ORBIT PARAMETERS
• Eccentricity
• Semi major axis
• Inclination
• Longitude of ascending node
• Argument of periapsis
• True anomaly
