Axiom142
Gold Meritorious Patron
I found an article here: http://www.pcworld.com/article/152813/in_satellite_photo_resolution_race_whos_winning.html
“…arch-rival GeoEye Inc. showed off the first color photos taken by its recently-launched GeoEye-1 satellite at a stunning 1.3 feet-per-pixel resolution. (See them at GeoEye's public web site. )
With exclusive commercial access to GeoEye-1's images for years to come, Google's lead over Microsoft on this closely-watched map benchmark seems certain.
Or is it? For one, when GeoEye-1 starts officially taking photos later this fall, it will be able to shoot up to 350,000 square miles a day, or an area about half the size of Texas. But the actual number of usable photos is always far lower, said GeoEye vice-president of marketing, Mark Brender.
"Half of the Earth is covered by clouds at any given time," said Brender. "Over Iraq, it's wonderful. Over Ecuador, it's terrible. They call it a rain forest for a reason."
GeoEye claim to have the highest resolution of any commercial satellite. So, the best possible resolution of satellite photo might show a person as 1 pixel on a screen. Hardly enough to be able to identify anyone as a human being let alone an individual.
In addition, satellites are put into orbit to scan different parts of the earth in each orbit. So, it may be several weeks or even months before they pass over the same part of land again. Therefore, the chances of one even being in the same part of the sky as the period in question are rather remote to say the least.
Axiom142
“…arch-rival GeoEye Inc. showed off the first color photos taken by its recently-launched GeoEye-1 satellite at a stunning 1.3 feet-per-pixel resolution. (See them at GeoEye's public web site. )
With exclusive commercial access to GeoEye-1's images for years to come, Google's lead over Microsoft on this closely-watched map benchmark seems certain.
Or is it? For one, when GeoEye-1 starts officially taking photos later this fall, it will be able to shoot up to 350,000 square miles a day, or an area about half the size of Texas. But the actual number of usable photos is always far lower, said GeoEye vice-president of marketing, Mark Brender.
"Half of the Earth is covered by clouds at any given time," said Brender. "Over Iraq, it's wonderful. Over Ecuador, it's terrible. They call it a rain forest for a reason."
GeoEye claim to have the highest resolution of any commercial satellite. So, the best possible resolution of satellite photo might show a person as 1 pixel on a screen. Hardly enough to be able to identify anyone as a human being let alone an individual.
In addition, satellites are put into orbit to scan different parts of the earth in each orbit. So, it may be several weeks or even months before they pass over the same part of land again. Therefore, the chances of one even being in the same part of the sky as the period in question are rather remote to say the least.
Axiom142