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    13-Apr-2025
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Before the invention of hot air balloons and aircraft, it was not possible to take systematic vertical photographs or images of the Earth's surface.

Credits: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
 
  Aircraft
 
West London aerial photograph
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West London aerial photograph

Credits: Window on the UK 2000
 
  Satellites
 
Launch of Ariane 5 flight 112
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Flight 112, an Ariane 5 launcher lifts off into the skies of Kourou above Europe's spaceport on 28 October 1998, carrying an ARD and a MAQSAT 3 satellite.

Credits: ESA/CNES/Arianespace
 
 
Polluted sea near Spanish coast
The satellite image above shows, in black, a very polluted sea. This image was taken by ERS-1 in December 1992, ten days after the Greek oil tanker Aegean Sea ran aground near the Spanish coast. At that time, the dedicated surveillance aircraft only observed pollution near the coast, but the satellite image revealed that the pollution was much more extensive.

Credits: ESA
 


Elements of remote sensing
Observed objectsSensorsThe information contained in an image
 
 
 
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