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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallA compelling satellite image is not proof by itself. To assess a claim about a military facility, preserve the image and its source, independently match the location, verify the capture date for the specific area shown, compare it with separately dated imagery, and distinguish visible evidence from conclusions about who or what is at the site.
Start with the image’s provenance
Keep the original file or an unmarked copy if available. Record where you found it and capture the information needed to assess its reliability:
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- Provider or platform, and satellite or sensor if identified.
- Stated capture date and time, including the time zone if known.
- Coordinates or the area the image is said to show.
- Any cropping, annotation, enhancement, or other processing you know about.
- A copy of the accompanying claim and the date you accessed it.
The Justice and Accountability Unit’s Collection Protocol recommends identifying imagery by satellite and capture date or time, crediting the source, logging geolocation and corroboration, and documenting the analysis. If a key detail is unknown, record it as unknown rather than filling the gap with an assumption.
Confirm the location using several landmarks
Match the scene against reference maps or imagery using multiple durable features. Useful clues include road junctions, runway geometry, coastlines, rivers, terrain, and the arrangement of buildings. A single similar-looking road or structure is weak evidence; several features that align with one another make a location match more persuasive.
- Identify the broad geographic setting, such as a coastline, river valley, or surrounding terrain.
- Compare the site layout and nearby roads or other persistent features with an independent reference.
- Record the coordinates you believe the image shows and which reference imagery or map you used.
A location match establishes where the pixels depict. It does not by itself prove who controls the site, what activity occurred there, or when it occurred. NASA’s guidance on interpreting satellite images stresses using context as well as visible details.
Check the date for the target area, not just the map label
A date displayed in a mapping viewer is a clue, not conclusive proof that every pixel in the view was captured that day. Historical map products may be mosaics assembled from strips or scenes acquired on different dates. The relevant question is the date of the imagery covering the facility itself.
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- Inspect the target area’s imagery layer or scene information, not only the date shown for the overall map view.
- Look for a provider preview or source record that identifies the scene and its capture date.
- Compare with imagery from before and after the claimed date when available. Check whether the ground features shown fit that sequence.
Bellingcat’s guide to verifying Google Earth satellite image dates explains why a viewer’s displayed date can be misleading when imagery is assembled from multiple acquisitions. If the source does not establish the target area’s date, describe the date as unverified rather than presenting the viewer label as certainty.
Compare stable features across separately dated images
Once you have candidate dates, compare the same area across scenes. Align the imagery as closely as possible and look first at features unlikely to change quickly: road patterns, field boundaries, soil marks, building footprints, and other persistent ground patterns. Then assess any apparent changes against the image conditions.
- Possible real change: a new or removed structure, a changed road, or a persistent difference in disturbed ground.
- Possible seasonal or environmental difference: vegetation, water, snow, soil moisture, or shadows that vary with season, weather, or sun angle.
- Possible processing difference: changes in color, sharpness, contrast, or boundaries that may result from how an image was processed or joined to another scene.
In a 2015 analysis of Russian Ministry of Defence imagery concerning MH17, Bellingcat compared field and soil patterns with dated Google Earth imagery. It concluded that claimed dates for the images it examined were inconsistent with the comparison scenes and reported digital alteration in one image. Those were findings about particular images, not evidence that official or commercial satellite imagery is generally manipulated. See the case analysis.
Separate what the image shows from what it might mean
Describe visible features at the level the imagery supports. For example, you can report that a vehicle-shaped object appears in a particular location or that a building footprint differs between two dated scenes. Identifying an exact vehicle or weapon, naming a unit, inferring intent, or declaring a site operational requires evidence beyond an ambiguous image detail.
Resolution sets a limit on what can be distinguished: an image may show the broad layout of a facility without resolving small objects. Clouds, haze, vegetation, shadows, color, and viewing context can also affect interpretation. NASA cautions that cloud and mountain shadows can be mistaken for dark surface features; compare other images and surrounding context before interpreting a dark patch as an object or ground change. Shadow geometry may help narrow possible locations or times, but only when timing, measurements, perspective, and ground conditions are reliable. Bellingcat describes it as supporting evidence, not a standalone authentication method, in its guide to using shadows to geolocate images.
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Corroborate consequential claims and disclose uncertainty
Use evidence independent of the image where possible: another dated imagery source, relevant documents, eyewitness material, or reputable reporting. Note when sources disagree and what each source can establish. The Justice and Accountability Unit’s Collection Protocol recommends documenting source analysis and corroboration, including searches that produce no usable material.
When comparing two sources or dates, assess the following together rather than treating a single strong-looking image as decisive:
- How confidently the capture date applies to the target area.
- Whether resolution and coverage are sufficient for the claim being made.
- Whether the source and original scene records can be identified.
- Whether the scenes have comparable lighting, weather, vegetation, and seasonal conditions.
- How often the area is revisited and how long imagery takes to become available.
- Whether independent evidence supports or contradicts the interpretation.
Account for coverage, revisit frequency, and publication delay
Satellite products are not necessarily current. Revisit frequency affects the chance of observing a change, while latency is the time between image acquisition and its availability to users; neither guarantees a timely, cloud-free view. Providers may also vary the coverage or resolution available for sensitive facilities or regions. As Bellingcat notes in About Maps and Satellites, a feature missing from or obscured in a particular mapping product is not proof that it is absent on the ground.
A careful conclusion therefore states what is visible, how the location and date were assessed, what corroborates the interpretation, and what remains uncertain. If the source, date, resolution, or conditions do not support a specific identification, narrow the claim rather than overstating what the image proves.
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