The Power of Satellite Photos

I recently went to an exhibition titled "Earth from above", which was organized by a renowned French photographer, who specialized in aerial photography. While his photos were not actually taken from a satellite, they were taken from so high above that they resembled satellite photos. I was so amazed at the detail of these aerial photos, that it lead me to start my own investigation to learn more on satelite photos and what they are used for. I was astonished at the world's depth of technology and more so the various uses that satellite photos contribute to.

Till I had a chance to get interested in the subject, I had always believed that satellite photos were photos taken by satellites or from satellites. And quite frankly, that is a definition that seems to hold good even now, after I have learnt more about the subject. Originally, satellite photos were taken by man made satelites that orbited the earth. The purpose was simple. These images were used for research and study of various weather phenomena. Being based on earth, there is no way that even the best of photographers can track weather. Hence, satellite photos that serve this need are a unique service. Since the first satellite was launched, a wide range of information in the form of satellite photos has been streaming back to earth. And our meteorologists and weather scientists have been able to better understand climate and weather phenomena.

Are Satellite Photos Good or Evil?

But the hey day of satellite photos can be considered to have come about with advances in espionage. Most countries with satellites used their eye in the sky to take satellite photos of enemy installations, terrain information and weather conditions in order that they could better plan their attack or defense strategy. This too was information that could not be obtained in any other way and helped those countries with superior technology, better economies and access to millions of dollars for research and development to obtain, study and implement their strategies based on the information present in satellite photos. The latest example of how satellite photos have been able to help America was witnessed in the capture of Iran and the subsequent raiding of Afghanistan. Without the information provided by satellite photos, both of these would not have been the successes that they are being touted to be.

Satellite photos also serve a humanitarian need. People like environmentalists and even agriculturists use the information provided by satellite photos to better understand the global changes occurring all over the plant. The information provided by satellite photos also helps them quickly and efficiently identify regions that are threatened and act accordingly to save them. Such activities have made satellite photos popular among academicians and wildlife enthusiasts alike.