07/08/2025
Understanding Spatial Resolutions: ASTER, Landsat, Sentinel & UAVs
In Remote Sensing, spatial resolution refers to the smallest object that a sensor can detect. Choosing the right dataset often depends on the balance between resolution, cost, and coverage. Here's a quick comparison:
ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer)
➡️ VNIR: 15 m
➡️ SWIR: 30 m
➡️ TIR: 90 m
Landsat (e.g., Landsat 8/9)
➡️ Multispectral: 30 m
➡️ Panchromatic: 15 m
➡️ Thermal: 100 m (resampled to 30 m)
Sentinel-2
➡️ Multispectral: 10 m, 20 m, 60 m (depending on the band)
UAVs (Drones)
➡️ Extremely high resolution: \~2–20 cm, depending on flight altitude and sensor.
🎯 Key takeaway:
👉🏼 Use ASTER and Landsat for regional studies (e.g., land cover, geology).
👉🏼 Sentinel-2 is ideal for medium-scale environmental monitoring with frequent revisit times.
👉🏼 UAVs offer ultra-high detail for site-specific studies like precision agriculture, infrastructure inspection, or conservation mapping.
🛰️ From meters to centimeters, the choice of spatial resolution can make or break your analysis.
💬 Which of these platforms do you use most often in your work?
Image: Credit to the owner.
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