Satellite images are digital photographs of the Earth's surface.

Artificial satellites in orbit on Earth have cameras and sensors that capture images and information from our Planet over time. In addition to taking photos, sensors can capture temperature information, ultraviolet radiation, infrared, and even radar from the earth's surface.

The first images were taken by analog cameras and it was only possible to visualize the images after they returned to firm ground. Today digital cameras and sophisticated telemetry equipment are used, enabling faster viewing with better quality.

The first orbiting photograph of Earth was taken in 1959 by the Explorer 6 satellite. From then on, several satellites were launched and the boarded cameras evolved. Today we have images with shorter cycles of time and higher definitions, making it possible to use them for various areas of activity, such as in civil and forestry engineering, geology, transport and mainly for agriculture.

The Sentinel 2 satellite has been in orbit another 700 km away from Earth since 2015. At Agrosmart’s platform we made available images from the Sentinel sattelite. Images are availabe without filters or in NDVI format. If you have different needs feel free to contact the Agrosmart sales team.

For the use of images it is important to understand certain definitions such as:

Spatial Resolution - is the area a single point on the image represents. For example, an image has spatial resolution of 10m x 10m while another has the resolution of 1m x 1m. The second one has much more details for the same total area of the image.

Spectral Resolution - is the spectral width of the sensor measurements. Satellites provide sensors that will give you the image with the reflectance in a given range of the electromagnetic spectrum and each can provide you with different information about the imaged area.

Radiometric Resolution - is associated with the number of bits of the supplied image. The greater the number and the greater the distinction in detail the tones of coloration.

Temporal Resolution - it is the time it takes the satellite to return to a certain area and capture a new image of that location. Very important if you want to follow the changes that are happening in a specific location.

Knowing these 4 properties it is possible to find applications in many areas such as mapping, meteorology, natural disaster detection, forest deforestation, agriculture, etc.

On our platform, for example, we use several satellite images. The images that are presented on the map are satellite images and are useful to find places of interest such as your property. However these images are updated a few times throughout the year and we have no control over them. In addition to the map images, we have a specific product for dedicated satellite images for your property. These images are taken frequently and allow you to monitor the status of your crop, as well as allow us to create various insights!

If you are interested in the subject or want to understand a little better about the product we sell on our platform, click here to understand a little more about NDVI.