Is there a difference between a Landsat satellite and a RADARSAT satellite?
Yes. Landsat carries a “Thematic Mapper” scanner that uses the visible and infrared parts of the electromagnetic spectrum to make images. As humans, we can only see the visible light part of the spectrum (the colours of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet), but we can’t see the infrared parts as Landsat can. RADARSAT, however, carries a radar instrument that uses the radar or microwave part of the spectrum to make images. We can’t see that part of the spectrum either. These are the same microwaves that are used in many other ways such as in microwave ovens.
