Landsat 8 Onion Skin

The instruments on Landsat 8 have linear detector arrays, also called "pushbroom" detectors, which collect data across the entire image swath at once. Landsat 7, and previous Landsat satellites, had detectors that swept back-and-forth, like a whisk broom, as they collected data across the image swath. Landsat collects images in long narrow strips called “swaths.” Each swath is 185 kilometers (115 miles) wide and is 2,752 kilometers (1,710 miles) from the next adjacent swath taken that day. It takes 16 days for the swaths to overlap enough to image the whole Earth.Previous Landsat sensors swept back and forth across the swath like a whisk broom to collect data. The sensor looked at a calibration source at the end of every row, which means that measurements were consistent from orbit to orbit. But this sensor design requires fast-moving parts, which are more likely to break.—and which did on Landsat 7.In contrast, the instruments on Landsat 8 view across the entire swath at once, building strips of data like a pushbroom. This approach requires no moving parts and gives the sensor detectors greater dwell time. The pushbroom instrument is smaller and lighter than previous whisk broom instruments, but its calibration is much more complex given the large number of detectors.“It was a natural step to evolve to a pushbroom sensor. The technology was proven on other satellites, and we knew we could get better accuracy. The pushbroom has no moving parts. It is a newer and more reliable technology.” explains Terry Arvidson, senior project engineer.For more information on the future of Landsat instruments, read https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/landsat-9/instruments/. Related pages

Learn about how satellites reveal features of our planet that aren't visible to human eyes. Explore how the NASA-USGS Landsat 8 satellite uses different combinations of light to provide information about Florida's land in this video. Infrared light reveals details of the evolving lava flows on Russia’s Tolbachik Volcano. Comparing the differences between three infrared wavelengths highlights the mineral geology surrounding China’s Piqiang Fault. Near infrared, red, and green light were used to create this false-color image of Algeria. Plant-covered land (red) dominates the scene. For More InformationSee [NASA Earth Observatory](http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/FalseColor/?src=vizapp) Related pages

On Feb. 11, 2013, Landsat 8 launched into Earth orbit, riding on an Atlas V rocket. Weighing 6,133 pounds, Landsat 8 is the eigth satellite in the long-running Landsat program, jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey. Until operations were handed over to the USGS, Landsat 8 was formally known as the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM).For complete transcript, click here.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. On Feb. 11, 2013, Landsat 8 launched into Earth orbit, riding on an Atlas V rocket. Weighing 6,133 pounds, Landsat 8 is the eigth satellite in the long-running Landsat program, jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey. At 16 feet tall, with a 32 foot long solar array, Landsat 8 orbits Earth at an altitude of 438 miles, moving at a speed of 16,760 miles per hour. It takes 99 minutes to complete one orbit, with about 14.5 orbits each day. There have been 5,319 orbits in the first year of Landsat 8's mission. It takes 16 days to build a complete scan of the globe, and on the 17th day the orbit cycle begins again.Between the two instruments on board, Landsat 8 records data in 11 separate wavelength regions spanning visible, infrared, and thermal radiation. The data is transmitted several times a day to the USGS Earth Resources and Observation Science Center in Sioux Falls, SD, where it is added to the archive of Landsat data stretching back to 1972. In its first year, users have downloaded 1,322,969 scenes of Landsat 8 data from the USGS.Landsat 8 continues the decades-long Landsat record of Earth's land surface at a scale where the impacts of humans and nature can be detected and monitored over time. Every continent, every season, every year, at a resolution that can distinguish an area the size of a baseball field. With help from Landsat we can monitor the cultivation of our food crops, quantify our precious water resources as they ebb and flow, and track deforestation globally. Landsat data constitute a key ingredient in decision making for agriculture, climate research, disaster mitigation, ecosystems, forestry, human health, urban growth, and water management. Related pages

Animation showing how different LDCM bands can be combined to obtain different information over the Florida Everglades. Print resolution still of the different Landsat bands exploded out like layers of onion skin along with corresponding spectral band wavelengths and common band names. Print resolution still of the LDCM satellite collecting data over the Florida Everglades. Print resolution still showing 3 bands of LDCM data remapped to red, green, and blue colors. The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) is the future of Landsat satellites. LDCM launched on February 11, 2013. Landsat satellites view the Earth through a number of different bands. Each band captures imagery in different spectral wavelengths. Scientists can combine these bands a number of ways to obtain information about the satellite imagery. This visualization shows several different band combinations over the Florida Everglades. Related pages