Adopt a Landsat pixel!The headline for this citizen-science activity sounds really cool…how would yo

Adopt a Landsat pixel!The headline for this citizen-science activity sounds really cool…how would you like to adopt a pixel?In 2013 the USGS and NASA launched the satellite that just entered service as Landsat 8, continuing the longest-running Earth observation program in the world. Here’s a sample image from Landsat showing Newport, Virginia, and a number of ships moving in the Harbor, from early June.The scientists and engineers running this mission regularly need to check its data against other images, particularly taken from the ground, in order to maintain the calibration on its cameras. If you’re interested and you have a camera and a compass, you can help keep this satellite optimized by adopting your own Landsat pixel.All you need is a camera, a compass, and an internet connection. Basically, the mission team would like you to pick a location, preferably one you can visit regularly. Once is fine, but if you were willing to return fairly often, maybe once every 2 months, even better.At the site, take 6 photos, looking north, south, east, west, straight up, and straight down. Then, go to this Flickr page (http://www.flickr.com/groups/landsat-adopt-a-pixel/), name the photos as requested, supply a bit of information like the date, time, and latitude/longitude coordinates, and add the photos to the available map.That’s it, take a couple photos, upload them, tag them, and you’ll have your very own Landsat pixel! Of course, the joy you’ll get from having your own pixel will be supplemented by being able to help maintain data quality for the Landsat program which has kept a watchful eye on the Earth for the last 40 years. But hey, you’ll have your own pixel!-JBBThat link again:http://www.flickr.com/groups/landsat-adopt-a-pixel/Image sourced from Landsat look viewer;http://landsatlook.usgs.gov/ -- source link

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