The Tool Desk
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What you need to know before searching
Satellite imagery is collected in scenes, each covering a footprint and tied to an acquisition time. A search for a date therefore finds available scenes within a chosen range; it does not produce an image for every calendar day. Whether a scene is useful also depends on dataset coverage and conditions such as cloud cover.
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Before you search, decide what the image is for. A ready-to-view browse image may be enough to inspect a place, while measurement or analysis calls for the relevant downloadable product and its metadata. The available sources do not establish one best spatial resolution for every use; choose a dataset that fits your task and check what its product provides.
Search USGS EarthExplorer
USGS EarthExplorer is a practical free starting point for historical satellite imagery. USGS says Landsat products in its EROS archive have been available at no cost since 2008. The portal lets you search by area or place, specify dates, choose datasets, inspect browse images and download products. See the USGS EarthExplorer overview.
- Set the area. Search for an address or place, use a map point, or define a polygon around the location. A polygon is useful when the area of interest extends beyond one point.
- Choose a date range. Include the target date and allow some time on either side. If the search returns no suitable scene, widen the range rather than assuming imagery does not exist for the location.
- Select a dataset. Start with Landsat Collection 2 Level-2 if its coverage and detail suit your task. EarthExplorer includes multiple datasets, so a different sensor or archive may be more appropriate when Landsat does not meet your needs.
- Review the results. Check each scene’s acquisition date and footprint, and inspect the browse image. Consider cloud information when it is available for that dataset.
- Download and verify. Choose the product for your intended use, then read its metadata to confirm the acquisition timestamp and other relevant details.
EarthExplorer’s controls and result limits can change. The interface documentation describes date, month and cloud-cover filters and a 100-record result limit; cloud filtering applies only to datasets that support it. If many scenes are returned, narrow the range or area. Check the current EarthExplorer interface for its latest behavior.
Which Landsat dates are covered?
USGS lists these availability periods for Landsat Collection 2 Level-2 surface reflectance products in EarthExplorer. These are sensor archive windows, not guarantees that a scene exists for a particular place on a particular day.
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| Sensor | Listed Level-2 availability |
|---|---|
| Landsat 9 | October 2021 to present |
| Landsat 8 | April 2013 to present |
| Landsat 7 | July 1999 to April 2022 |
| Landsat 5 | March 1984 to May 2012 |
| Landsat 4 | August 1982 to December 1993 |
These periods are the coverage dates listed on the USGS Landsat Collection 2 Level-2 product page. “Present” refers to the page’s current listing, not a promise of daily acquisitions. For a target outside a sensor’s listed period, select another dataset or archive.
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- Widen the date range. The target day may not have a matching acquisition, or available imagery may be obscured by clouds.
- Try another dataset or sensor. Coverage differs by archive and sensor; check the scene dates and footprint rather than relying only on the dataset name.
- Use a historical imagery catalog for discovery or analysis. Google Earth Engine provides a catalog of geospatial datasets and more than thirty years of imagery, with Python and JavaScript APIs. Google says the service is available for commercial use and remains free for academic and research use; check its current terms before relying on those conditions. See Google Earth Engine.
- Choose a programmatic route for repeated or bulk searches. USGS documents its Machine-to-Machine (M2M) RESTful JSON API and cloud access options. These are better suited than a visual portal when you need to automate searches or work with many scenes; see the USGS M2M API documentation.
The EROS archive also includes the full Landsat record, historical aerial imagery and other geospatial datasets. EarthExplorer supports searching, browsing, metadata export, downloads and processing support; consult the USGS EROS archive overview when another archive may fit better.
Quick Recap
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Check the image before using it
- Confirm the acquisition date. A search range is not the same as an image captured on the target day. Verify the timestamp in the scene metadata.
- Inspect the footprint. Make sure the scene actually covers the location or full area you need.
- Assess clouds and visibility. Cloud information may be available, but filtering support varies by dataset. Inspect the browse image and judge whether the scene is usable.
- Use the right kind of file. A browse image is a quick visual preview; use the appropriate downloaded product and its metadata for analysis or measurement.
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