Light, Clouds and the Physics of Optical Imaging
What limits what an optical satellite can see, and why do resolution claims need careful reading?
Chapter summary
An optical satellite's sharpness is set by the size of its telescope, its altitude and the quality of its detector and processing; what it can actually deliver is further limited by sunlight, cloud, haze, viewing angle and motion.
Key takeaways
- 1
A satellite that is "30 cm" at nadir on a clear day may deliver 40–50 cm when looking sideways through haze.
- 2
Clouds cover about two-thirds of the Earth at any time, so optical systems miss many opportunities.
- 3
These limits explain why buyers should read resolution claims carefully, why SAR complements optical, and why revisit numbers overstate useful collection.
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Resolution, Revisit and Latency: the Three Axes of Value
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