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Remote sensing methods are methods of studying the Earth and other space bodies from air or spacecraft with the help of aerial photography and satellite imagery. Satellite and aerial imagery help explore landscapes, analyze the scale of human impact on the environment, and find inspiration in the mesmerizing textures, shapes, and patterns on the planet’s surface: natural or human-made.

The similarity between aerial photography and space imagery is that both are carried out from an aircraft, from a height. The principle of operation of the sensors used also turns out to be similar. Later, these images are collected and analyzed by different experts to pull out the necessary data. Besides, other online tools like LandViewer help search and download such imagery already analyzed for various purposes.

Of course, there are differences between satellite and aerial photography. Space imagery is carried out from an altitude much higher than aerial photography. In terms of the quality of frames, space imagery may be even of a higher resolution because it uses entirely digital equipment. But aerial photography is less dependent on cloud cover since it can be carried out from a lower height. Besides, satellite imagery covers a larger area and takes less time to create a complete map than aerial imagery. However, aerial photography can be more accurate than satellite pictures because it creates the map closer to the real scale, making it more recognizable than a satellite image.

So how do you choose which type of imagery is more fit to your needs? Do you need high-resolution images or a lower resolution will be enough? That depends on the different factors that we are going to cover in this piece. But first, let’s define satellite and aerial photography.