How to Get a Current Satellite View of My Property?

The demand to view real-time or recently captured images of a specific place, for instance, private properties is surging. Being that the current state of GIS and remote sensing technology makes it very easy to get a sat view of your property, people will not be able to use it appropriately without knowledge about the how.

Understanding Remote Sensing

The data are obtained from the Earth’s surface through a process referred to as remote sensing, which captures data without physical contact. It is achieved by satellite sensors that detect electromagnetic radiation reflected or emitted by the Earth’s surface. The sensors can capture data at different wavelengths, hence creating images that represent different characteristics of the Earth’s surface.

 Resolution

Spatial Resolution: The ability to locate and detect even the smallest area in an image. For example, satellites as used in Google Earth can go as low as 30 cm for an object.

Temporal Resolution: This is the ability of the satellite to capture images over the same location at what interval. Some satellites may be able to get images as frequently as every 10 minutes in geostationary orbit, while others pass only after days or even weeks to the same area.

Spectral Resolution: This is a satellite sensor’s ability to acquire data at several wavelengths. Multispectral and hyperspectral imagery are some common data sources from satellites, which carry rich details in analysis.

Radiometric Resolution: This refers to the sensitivity of a sensor toward the detection of differences in energy levels or brightness.

Accessing Satellite Imagery Platforms

1. Google Earth and Google Maps

Google Earth is probably the best-known and most-used platform for looking at satellite imagery. It offers high-resolution satellite images that are updated from time to time. To view your property: Open Google Earth or Google Maps in your web browser. Use the search bar to find your property using the address or geographic coordinates with latitude and longitude. Zoom in to view the most recent satellite imagery of your area that is available. Although spatial resolution in Google Earth is rather high, its temporal resolution is low because images are often months or years old depending on the location.

2. Sentinel Hub

For more recent imagery you can access data from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel satellites through the Sentinel Hub. The Sentinel-2 satellites offer high-frequency multispectral imagery with a temporal resolution of 5 days at the equator. To get a current satellite view with Sentinel Hub: Go to the Sentinel Hub EO Browser and register for an account. Try to locate your location by putting in the coordinates for your property. Select the date range you are interested in imagery. Select the appropriate spectral bands to analyze. Sentinel-2 imagery is acquired in several spectral bands, including visible and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths, which can add further information, relevant to your property, about plant health and land cover. The Sentinel Hub offers flexibility both in terms of spectral and temporal resolution, thus making it a very useful tool for people in need of periodic updates about their property conditions, especially in cases of agriculture and environmental monitoring.

3. NASA’s Worldview Tool

Another free NASA tool is Worldview, which provides access to near-real-time satellite imagery. It accesses MODIS, among other satellites, and offers daily imagery at coarser spatial resolution but very high update frequency. Accessing Worldview: Visit the NASA Worldview website. Use their search tool to locate your property address. Select the latest imagery that’s available. You can order by date and see data across multiple spectral bands. Most useful for daily updates, but can be foggy on low spatial resolution.

4. MAXAR’s Vivid and SecureWatch

Maxar Technologies provides commercial satellite imagery services for those requiring high-resolution and near-real-time satellite imagery. Their product, SecureWatch, grants access to Maxar’s high-resolution satellites with spatial resolutions as fine as 31 cm, including WorldView-3. Maxar’s satellites provide relatively high temporal resolution, thus enabling more frequent updates over chosen areas. To access SecureWatch: Visit the Maxar Technologies website and apply for SecureWatch services. Enter your coordinates for the location where you intend to capture pictures and select the timeframe when you would like to start taking pictures. Download high-resolution recent images of your estate. While these services are not free, they do come with a detailed and recency of data that gives your area the most accurate and up-to-date captured satellite image

Factors to Consider When Relating to Current Satellite Images

Cloud Cover: One of the challenges you will likely face with a request for a satellite photo of your home is cloud cover, which may obscure what you are looking at. Optical sensors made by satellites using the same kind of light to scan that observes visible light are highly susceptible to clouds, and thus a clear picture is less possible. In such cases, the solution can be provided by Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a type of radar that can penetrate clouds and acquire surface data both day and night and cloud-free imagery. The Sentinel-1 uses SAR technology, for instance.

Geographic Coordinates: To precisely locate your property, you may need to know its geographic coordinates, in latitude and longitude. You would use these coordinates to search satellite databases or punch them into GIS software. Most mapping tools, including Google Earth, let you do this by clicking on your property.

GIS Software and Applications: Additional functionalities for advanced users are available through GIS software such as QGIS and ArcGIS. As shown above, it is possible to overlay several datasets, run spatial analysis, and download satellite imagery for further examination. The integration of these features with GIS tools can enable detailed maps that come in handy for the examination of land use changes as well as monitoring environmental conditions over time.

With advancements in GIS and remote-sensing technologies, it has become practical to obtain a current satellite view of your property. Whether you opt for viewing platforms such as free Google Earth or NASA Worldview, or you pay for commercial services such as Maxar’s SecureWatch at high resolution, the tool available today should be able to yield a good understanding of its use. Resolution, cloud cover, and spectral bands can thus form basis considerations to help make the informed decision on which of these would best address individual needs.