
79-1
79.1 What Can Be Seen from Satellite Imagery?
Satellite imaging and sensing is the process by which the electromagnetic energy reected or emitted
from the Earth (or any other planetary) surface is captured by a sensor located on a spaceborne platform.
e Su
n
as we
ll
as al
l
te
rrestrial
ob
jects
ca
n
be so
urces
of en
ergy
. Vi
sible
li
ght,
ra
dio
wa
ves,
he
at,
ul
tra-
violet,
an
d
x-
rays
ar
e
al
l
ex
amples
of el
ectromagnetic
en
ergy
. Si
nce
el
ectromagnetic
en
ergy
tr
avels
in a
sin
usoidal
fa
shion,
it fo
llows
th
e
pr
inciples
of wa
ve
th
eory,
an
d
el
ectromagnetic
wa
ves
ar
e
ca
tegorized
by th
eir
wa
velength
wi
thin
th
e
el
ectromagnetic
sp
ectrum
. Al
though
it is co ...