Two Instruments That Make It All Happen
There are two instruments aboard Landsat 9.
OLI- 2 is all about light.
Once in orbit, OLI-2 collects sunlight reflected off Earth’s surface.
The light passes through a set of filters,
to separate out nine specific wavelength bands,
in visible and infrared frequencies.
Each band provides different pieces of information about
what is down on the surface.
The second instrument aboard Landsat 9, called TIRS-2,
collects thermal infrared wavelengths,
or temperature signatures emitted by the Earth itself.