satellite images and clouds: what technology can see through clouds?

I was thinking about how satellites are "the eye in the sky" , how these satellites are used to image stuff on the ground. However I know that regular imaging satellites cannot see through clouds.

I know this is something the intelligence agencies would work on, figuring out a way to get images that are beneath clouds. People say that they can use infrared imaging, others say no that wouldn't work. What kind of technology is used by satellites to see through clouds ?

Not all the imagery in Google Earth comes from satellites. A lot of the imagery comes from aerial photographers mostly in airplanes with special high resolution cameras.

Satellites with passive microwave technology can image sea ice through clouds, possibly land masses. But to get the really hi-res images they either have to sift through pictures waiting till cloud cover clears or use other means besides satellites.

Any frequency above the visible spectrum penetrates the clouds. Also most radar frequencies go through.

Originally posted by Utopia2012
What kind of technology is used by satellites to see through clouds ?

Is radio imaging a possible?

As I said, passive microwave can image certain things through clouds. But you can't get the hi-res images with radio waves. Those are taken either by the satellites when there is no cloud cover or by lower flying airplanes, sometimes even balloons and kites.

Originally posted by ZeroReady
As I said, passive microwave can image certain things through clouds. But you can't get the hi-res images with radio waves. Those are taken either by the satellites when there is no cloud cover or by lower flying airplanes, sometimes even balloons and kites.

Got you like MRO or LRO fliers and thanks

reply to post by Utopia2012


See: L5 reciever

You would be surprised what satellites can see. The L5 recievers that we use in the field can, supposedly, see through tree canopy. Not really an image like a photo, but it can read topography very percisely. Creating a 3d image of the ground. So in some ways it surpasses even the images that most satellites send back.

MOTF!

Originally posted by Utopia2012
People say that they can use infrared imaging, others say no that wouldn't work.

Water is opaque or has high attenuation and is also reflective through the entire IR portion of the spectrum. Also, when you get into the thermal portion of the IR band, clouds radiate a lot of their own light as well. So imaging through clouds with IR is not possible.

If you need to see to believe I can produce images/footage with my thermal imager looking up at the clouds. The moon and aircraft that are highly visible in clear skys vanish behind even thin clouds.

reply to post by Utopia2012


Radar sees through alsmost evverything, although I wouldn't discount thermal imaging systems. The thermal scope on a toe missile launcher can see through a mile of fog( which is just like clouds) and watch 2 rabbits procreate. This is from personal experience, I don't know how much farther it would work, we only had a 1 mile line of sight.

LIDAR

LASER-Radar. Discovering new temples and archeo-site world wide by seeing through and even removing vegation

MIcrowave based devices have been developed that can look right through solid walls and see what's going on inside houses. SOme sort of high powered microwave beam at the right frequency should be able to penetrate clouds. Don't think the pictures will look very pretty but still, I think they are able to do that and have since the 80s.