Category: Sensors and missions
Sentinel-2
Sentinel-2 is an ESA optical multispectral mission widely used for land monitoring at 10–60 m resolution.
Also known as: S2, Sentinel 2
Expanded definition
Sentinel-2 provides multi-spectral optical imagery with several bands in visible, near-infrared, and shortwave infrared. Its combination of spatial detail and frequent coverage makes it a common baseline for land monitoring.
Sentinel-2 products are often distributed as Level-1 (TOA) and Level-2 (surface reflectance) with associated quality layers. For time-series analytics, consistent processing and careful masking of clouds and shadows are essential.
When people talk about “10 m Sentinel-2,” they often mean only the bands that are natively 10 m. Other bands may be delivered resampled to 10 m, which is convenient but not the same as native resolution.
Related terms
Optical Imagery
Optical imagery measures reflected sunlight, providing rich spectral information but being sensitive to clouds and illumination.
TOA (Top-of-Atmosphere)
TOA reflectance is reflectance at the top of the atmosphere, before full atmospheric correction to the surface.
Surface Reflectance (BOA)
Surface reflectance estimates what reflectance would be at the ground after removing atmospheric effects.
Band
A band is a single spectral channel in an image, measuring energy within a specific wavelength range.