Tag Archives: landsat8
Google brings higher-resolution imagery to Earth and Maps
Google refreshes Maps and Earth with 800,000 megapixels of new satellite imagery
It's not easy being a satellite; permanent imaging gear becomes outdated mere months after launch, and Mother Nature is constantly caught photobombing close-ups, throwing naughty clouds between a lens and the shot. All that makes for some pretty inconsistent online viewing. Fortunately, Google's stepped in to set things straight, combining the magic of photo stitching with the capture power of a brand-spanking-new Landsat 8. The result is a cloud-free planet, enabling millions of web-equipped "explorers" to realize improved aerial views as seen from 438 miles above sea level. It's pretty spectacular, and it's about friggin' time.
Filed under: GPS, Internet, Google
Source: Google Maps
NASA launches Landsat 8 satellite to better study the skies above, water below
NASA's Landsat program recently turned the big four-oh, and what better way to deal with the mid-life crisis by getting a new satellite as a present? Accordingly, the space agency has just launched Landsat 8 into orbit to give its Earth Science program a new injection of youth. The new vehicle improves the accuracy of existing light and thermal sensors while widening the scope to better reflect modern climate studies -- number 8 now tracks aerosols in the atmosphere, high cirrus clouds and the telltale signs of water quality and consumption levels. We won't get the first USGS-derived results from the new satellite until after a 100-day shakedown period, but we're sure the deeper understanding of our planet will help the Landsat program forget all about those first few gray hairs.
Filed under: Science
Source: NASA