Landsat Frequently Asked Questions
This page lists commonly asked questions pertaining to the Landsat satellite missions, the science behind maintaining high quality Landsat data, and what products are available - and how to download them.
General Landsat
- What is the Landsat satellite program and why is it important?
- What is a Landsat satellite constellation?
Landsat Next
Landsat 9
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?
Landsat Metadata
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)
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)?
Landsat Browse Images
- What are Landsat Collection 2 Full Resolution Browse Images?
- Why are some Landsat browse images black?
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
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?