Glossary
Area of Interest: This is the geographic area you want your satellite image to capture. Your image will either be sourced from an archive of satellite imagery or require a satellite to capture a custom snapshot.
Existing Images: Existing Images are sourced from our database of previously-captured satellite images. Most are available for instant downloading.
GSD: Is synonymous with resolution, and stands for ground sample distance. It defines the the physical distance on the ground that each pixel in an image represents. Smaller GSD values indicate higher image resolution and finer details, while larger GSD values indicate lower resolution with less detail.
GeoTIFF: File format commonly used when mapping geographical regions. These files allow you to get more data than what is visible in the image. This is primarily for advanced use cases.
Ground Sample Distance (GSD): The distance between pixel centers measured on the ground. The GSD represents one pixel of the ground.
Hyperspectral Data: Hyperspectral sensors capture data that’s invisible to the naked eye. While this data won’t appear in your picture, it’s accessible as a data set and can be used for a variety of analyses. In addition to our standard digital image, you can download files for each spectral band. This is for our advanced users only.
Nadir Angle: When a satellite is positioned directly above its target, its “nadir angle” is at zero. That angle increases when the shot is captured from another position which is then referred to as the “off-nadir angle”. Our in-network satellites operate within an appropriate off-nadir angle range for their given sensors to ensure you get a great image.
New Images: By placing a New Image order, you are instructing a SkyFi partner satellite to capture an image of a specific location at a future date.
NIR: Near-infrared (NIR) refers to a specific range of wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum that is just beyond the visible red light. The near-infrared spectrum extends from approximately 700 nanometers (nm) to 1400 nm, although the exact boundaries may vary depending on the context and sensor specifications. Near-infrared imagery is commonly used in remote sensing applications for various purposes, including vegetation analysis, land cover classification, and environmental monitoring.
Resolution: The smaller the pixel size (in centimeters), the higher the resolution. A higher resolution results in crisper, more detailed images, which you can validate with a simple zoom-in on your image. For the experts out there, Medium resolution means >1m; High resolution images are between 50cm and 1m.
Panchromatic: Panchromatic sensors or bands are designed to capture light in a single channel, usually covering the entire visible spectrum (approximately 400 to 700 nanometers). Unlike multispectral or hyperspectral sensors that capture data in multiple narrow wavelength bands, panchromatic sensors do not differentiate between specific colors or wavelengths. Panchromatic imagery has high spatial resolution, and is often used for applications that require high-resolution visual interpretation, such as cartography, urban planning, and change detection.
PNG: Portable Network Graphic, is a file format that is easily opened on all devices while maintaining image quality.
Orbit: The curved path of a satellite around the earth.
Remote Sensing: The acquisition of information about an object without making physical contact with the object.
SAR Image: Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors create images using the reflection of radio waves, giving them the ability to capture images at night and through bad weather conditions such as clouds.
Sensor: Different satellites have different types of cameras (or sensors), which allows them to capture a range of images and data.
Stereo: With stereo images, our satellites capture the same target from two different angles. To the naked eye, the end product looks like a standard daytime image, but experts can use it to create 3D models.
Swath Width: Swath width refers to the total width of the ground area covered by a satellite image.