Landsat Frequently Asked Questions

General Landsat

• What is the Landsat satellite program and why is it important?

• What is a Landsat satellite constellation?

Landsat Next

• What is Landsat Next?

Landsat 9

• When was the Landsat 9 satellite launched?

• What sensors does Landsat 9 satellite carry?

Data Acquisition and Archive

• What is the Worldwide Reference System (WRS)?

• What are the acquisition schedules for the Landsat satellites?

• How can I find the acquisition time for a Landsat scene?

• Can Landsat satellite acquisition requests be made for a specific date and location?

• After a Landsat scene is collected, when will it become available for search and download?

• Are all acquired Landsat scenes held in the USGS Landsat archive?

• How do I search for and download ascending (nighttime) Landsat scenes?

• What are the band designations for the Landsat satellites?

Landsat Data Products

• What Landsat data products are available?

• How do I search for and download Landsat data?

• How is the percentage of cloud cover calculated in a Landsat scene?

• What are the processing levels for Landsat Level-1 data?

• Does Landsat Level-1 data processing include atmospheric correction?

Using Landsat Data

• Are there any restrictions on the use or redistribution of Landsat data?

• How do I open Landsat satellite data files?

• What are the best Landsat spectral bands for use in my research?

• What are some known issues that users might find in Landsat data?

• What could be causing the "seamline" in a mosaic of multiple Landsat images?

• How do I rescale Landsat Level-1 digital numbers to reflectance, radiance, and brightness temperature?

• How do I use Quality Assessment (QA) bands that are delivered with Landsat products?

Landsat U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD)

• What are Landsat U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD)?

Landsat Level-2 Science Products

• Why does my Landsat Collection 2 Surface Temperature product have missing data?

• Why are negative values observed over water in some Landsat Surface Reflectance products?

• How do I use a scale factor with Landsat Level-2 science products?

Landsat Collections

• What are Landsat Collections?

• What are Landsat Collection Tiers?

• What are the Landsat Collection 1 Level-1 data product file sizes?

• How can I tell the difference between Landsat Collections data and Landsat data I have downloaded in the past?

• I have a list of historical Landsat Level-1 Scene IDs; how can I determine the corresponding Landsat Collections Level-1 Product Identifier?

• Can Landsat Collection Real-Time scenes be used in my research?

• What is the Landsat Collections Angle Coefficient file and how is it used?

• What is the Landsat Collections Saturation Bits parameter?

• Does the Landsat 7 Scan Line Corrector (SLC)-off artifact affect Landsat Collections Tier designation?

Landsat Collection 2

• What updates are being made in Landsat Collection 2?

• Will Landsat Collection 1 data products remain available?

• What is the naming convention for Landsat Collection 2 Level-1 and Level-2 scenes?

• How do Landsat Collection 2 Level-2 products compare with products from Collection 1?

• How long does it take to create Landsat Collection 2 Level-2 products after a Landsat scene is acquired?

• Why are the fill values and scaling factors of Landsat Collection 2 Level-2 products different from those products in Collection 1?

• How do I search and download Landsat Collection 2 data products?

• What are Cloud Optimized GeoTIFFs (COGs)?

• What are Landsat Collection 2 Full Resolution Browse Images?

Landsat Data in the Cloud

• Are Landsat data in the cloud still considered public domain?

• When do I need an Amazon Web Services (AWS) account to access Landsat data in the cloud? Is there a cost for that?

Landsat 8 Data

• How is the Landsat 8 Coastal/Aerosol Band 1 used?

• How is the Landsat 8 Cirrus Band 9 used?

Landsat 7 Data

• What is Landsat 7 ETM+ SLC-off data?

• What are Landsat 7 SLC-off Gap Mask files?

• Why do Landsat 7 Level-1 products contain two thermal bands?

• Does the Landsat 7 Scan Line Corrector (SLC)-off artifact affect Landsat Collections Tier designation?

Landsat 1-5 Data

• What are the _VER.jpg and _VER.txt files that are included with the Landsat MSS and TM data?

• What are Landsat 5 TM "no-Payload Correction Data" scenes?

Landsat Browse Images

• What are LandsatLook images?

• Why are some Landsat browse images black?

Landsat Calibration

• What is Landsat definitive ephemeris?

• What are Landsat Response Linearization Look Up Tables?

• What are Landsat Bias Parameter Files?

• What are Landsat Calibration Parameter Files?

• How is the C Function of Mask (CFMask) algorithm used with Landsat Level-1 data?