The sensors aboard each of the Landsat satellites were designed to acquire data in different ranges of frequencies along the electromagnetic spectrum (View Bandpass Wavelengths for all Landsat Sensors). The Multispectral Scanner (MSS) carried on Landsat 1,2,3,4 and 5 collected data in four ranges (bands); the Thematic Mapper (TM) sensor on Landsat 4 and Landsat 5 included those found on earlier satellites and also introduced a thermal and a shortwave infrared band. A panchromatic band was added to Landsat 7’s Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensor.
While the earlier satellites carried just one sensor, Landsat 8 acquires data in 11 bands from two separate sensors: the Operational Land Imager (OLI) and the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS). The instruments on Landsat 9 were designed as improved copies of the Landsat 8 sensors.
Landsat 1-5 Multispectral Scanner (MSS) images consist of four spectral bands with 60 meter spatial resolution. Approximate scene size is 170 km north-south by 185 km east-west (106 mi by 115 mi). Specific band designations differ from Landsat 1-3 to Landsat 4-5.
| Landsat 1-3 |
Landsat 4-5 |
Wavelength (micrometers) |
Resolution (meters) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 4 - Green | Band 1 - Green | 0.5-0.6 | 60 |
| Band 5 - Red | Band 2 = Red | 0.6-0.7 | 60 |
| Band 6 - Near Infrared (NIR) | Band 3 - Near Infrared (NIR) | 0.7-0.8 | 60 |
| Band 7 - Near Infrared (NIR) | Band 4 - Near Infrared (NIR) | 0.8-1.1 | 60 |
Landsat 4-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) images consist of seven spectral bands with a spatial resolution of 30 meters for Bands 1 to 5 and 7. Spatial resolution for Band 6 (thermal infrared) is 120 meters, but is resampled to 30-meter pixels. Approximate scene size is 170 km north-south by 183 km east-west (106 mi by 114 mi).
| Landsat 4-5 |
Wavelenth (micrometers) |
Resolution (meters) |
|---|---|---|
| Band 1 - Blue | 0.45-0.52 | 30 |
| Band 2 - Green | 0.52-0.60 | 30 |
| Band 3 - Red | 0.63-0.69 | 30 |
| Band 4 - Near Infrared (NIR) | 0.76-0.90 | 30 |
| Band 5 - Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) 1 | 1.55-1.75 | 30 |
| Band 6 - Thermal | 10.40-12.50 | 120 (30) |
| Band 7 - Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) 2 | 2.08-2.35 | 30 |
Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) images consist of eight spectral bands with a spatial resolution of 30 meters for Bands 1 to 7. The resolution for Band 8 (panchromatic) is 15 meters. All bands can collect one of two gain settings (high or low) for increased radiometric sensitivity and dynamic range, while Band 6 collects both high and low gain for all scenes. Approximate scene size is 170 km north-south by 183 km east-west (106 mi by 114 mi).
| Landsat 7 |
Wavelength (micrometers) |
Resolution (meters) |
|---|---|---|
| Band 1 - Blue | 0.45-0.52 | 30 |
| Band 2 - Green | 0.52-0.60 | 30 |
| Band 3 - Red | 0.63-0.69 | 30 |
| Band 4 - Near Infrared (NIR) | 0.77-0.90 | 30 |
| Band 5 - Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) 1 | 1.55-1.75 | 30 |
| Band 6 - Thermal | 10.40-12.50 | 60 (30) |
| Band 7 - Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) 2 | 2.09-2.35 | 30 |
| Band 8 - Panchromatic | .52-.90 | 15 |
Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) images consist of nine spectral bands with a spatial resolution of 30 meters for Bands 1 to 7 and 9. New band 1 (ultra-blue) is useful for coastal and aerosol studies. New band 9 is useful for cirrus cloud detection. The resolution for Band 8 (panchromatic) is 15 meters. Thermal bands 10 and 11 are useful in providing more accurate surface temperatures and are collected at 100 meters. Approximate scene size is 170 km north-south by 183 km east-west (106 mi by 114 mi). The instruments on Landsat 9 are improved copies of those on Landsat 8.
View Landsat 7 / Landsat 5 and Landsat 8/9 Common Band Combinations
| Bands | Wavelength (micrometers) |
Resolution (meters) |
|---|---|---|
| Band 1 - Coastal aerosol | 0.43-0.45 | 30 |
| Band 2 - Blue | 0.45-0.51 | 30 |
| Band 3 - Green | 0.53-0.59 | 30 |
| Band 4 - Red | 0.64-0.67 | 30 |
| Band 5 - Near Infrared (NIR) | 0.85-0.88 | 30 |
| Band 6 - Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) 1 | 1.57-1.65 | 30 |
| Band 7 - Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) 2 | 2.11-2.29 | 30 |
| Band 8 - Panchromatic | 0.50-0.68 | 15 |
| Band 9 - Cirrus | 1.36-1.38 | 30 |
| Band 10 - Thermal Infrared (TIRS) 1 | 10.6-11.19 | 100 |
| Band 11 - Thermal Infrared (TIRS) 2 | 11.50-12.51 | 100 |
Related Content
What are the best Landsat spectral bands for use in my research?
The Spectral Characteristics Viewer is an interactive tool that can be used to visualize how the bands, or channels, of different satellite sensors measure the intensity of the many wavelengths (colors) of light. This is also known as the relative spectral response (RSR). By overlaying the spectral curves from different features (spectra), one can determine which bands of the selected sensor will...
How does data from Sentinel-2A’s MultiSpectral Instrument compare to Landsat data?
The Sentinel-2A MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI) data has spectral bands very similar to Landsat 8 and 9 (excluding the thermal bands of Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS)). All Sentinel-2 data are freely available from the Copernicus Open Access Hub; therefore, users are encouraged to download the data via https://scihub.copernicus.eu/. To learn more about Sentinel data access information please visit...
What are some known issues that users might find in Landsat data?
A number of artifacts and anomalies can happen to any remote sensing data. Banding, dropped scan lines, and detector failures are only a few of the anomalies that can be seen in Landsat data. Go to Landsat Known Issues for details about anomalies that have been discovered and investigated.
After a Landsat scene is collected, when will it become available for search and download?
Landsat scenes directly downlinked to the USGS EROS Landsat Ground Station become available through EarthExplorer within 6 hours after acquisition, and then become visible in GloVis and the LandsatLook Viewer within 24 hours. Scenes downlinked to other USGS Ground Stations can be available within 1 to 2 weeks. Scenes downlinked to International Ground Stations may become available in the USGS...
Can Landsat satellite acquisition requests be made for a specific date and location?
The Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 satellites together acquire approximately 1,500 scenes daily. These scenes are available for download within 6 hours of acquisition. Landsat satellite acquisitions are managed as a system, known as a satellite constellation. Long-Term Acquisition Plans (LTAPs) direct and optimize the daily acquisitions of each active Landsat satellite. Special requests for future...
Related Content
- FAQ
What are the best Landsat spectral bands for use in my research?
The Spectral Characteristics Viewer is an interactive tool that can be used to visualize how the bands, or channels, of different satellite sensors measure the intensity of the many wavelengths (colors) of light. This is also known as the relative spectral response (RSR). By overlaying the spectral curves from different features (spectra), one can determine which bands of the selected sensor will...
How does data from Sentinel-2A’s MultiSpectral Instrument compare to Landsat data?
The Sentinel-2A MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI) data has spectral bands very similar to Landsat 8 and 9 (excluding the thermal bands of Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS)). All Sentinel-2 data are freely available from the Copernicus Open Access Hub; therefore, users are encouraged to download the data via https://scihub.copernicus.eu/. To learn more about Sentinel data access information please visit...
What are some known issues that users might find in Landsat data?
A number of artifacts and anomalies can happen to any remote sensing data. Banding, dropped scan lines, and detector failures are only a few of the anomalies that can be seen in Landsat data. Go to Landsat Known Issues for details about anomalies that have been discovered and investigated.
After a Landsat scene is collected, when will it become available for search and download?
Landsat scenes directly downlinked to the USGS EROS Landsat Ground Station become available through EarthExplorer within 6 hours after acquisition, and then become visible in GloVis and the LandsatLook Viewer within 24 hours. Scenes downlinked to other USGS Ground Stations can be available within 1 to 2 weeks. Scenes downlinked to International Ground Stations may become available in the USGS...
Can Landsat satellite acquisition requests be made for a specific date and location?
The Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 satellites together acquire approximately 1,500 scenes daily. These scenes are available for download within 6 hours of acquisition. Landsat satellite acquisitions are managed as a system, known as a satellite constellation. Long-Term Acquisition Plans (LTAPs) direct and optimize the daily acquisitions of each active Landsat satellite. Special requests for future...
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