Frequently Asked Questions about the Landsat Missions

Question:
Why are some browse images black? (Earth Explorer)

Answer:

Completely black browse images are generally night scenes, which are occasionally acquired during the ascending node (rows 123 to 244). Black scenes with a bright oval (candle flame) are Partial Aperture Calibration (PAC) scenes, also acquired during the ascending node. Both types of scenes will contain useful data in the thermal infrared band 6.

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U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://landsat.usgs.gov
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Page Last Modified: November 24, 2009
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