What are the band designations for the Landsat satellites?
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 are being designed as improved copies of Landsat 8.
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 | Band 1 | 0.5-0.6 | 60 |
| Band 5 | Band 2 | 0.6-0.7 | 60 |
| Band 6 | Band 3 | 0.7-0.8 | 60 |
| Band 7 | Band 4 | 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 | 0.45-0.52 | 30 |
| Band 2 | 0.52-0.60 | 30 |
| Band 3 | 0.63-0.69 | 30 |
| Band 4 | 0.76-0.90 | 30 |
| Band 5 | 1.55-1.75 | 30 |
| Band 6 | 10.40-12.50 | 120 (30) |
| Band 7 | 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 | 0.45-0.52 | 30 |
| Band 2 | 0.52-0.60 | 30 |
| Band 3 | 0.63-0.69 | 30 |
| Band 4 | 0.77-0.90 | 30 |
| Band 5 | 1.55-1.75 | 30 |
| Band 6 | 10.40-12.50 | 60 (30) |
| Band 7 | 2.09-2.35 | 30 |
| Band 8 | .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 (launch ready December 2020) are being designed as improved copies of Landsat 8.
View Landsat 7 / Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 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 - SWIR 1 | 1.57-1.65 | 30 |
| Band 7 - 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 |
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