NASA's Observatorium Education -- Learning w/o Touching

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Remote sensing is the process of gathering information about something without touching it.

Imagine a day at the beach. You can see the glitter of the ocean and the people in their brightly colored swimsuits. You can also hear the roar of the surf and feel the warmth of the sun. You are doing remote sensing.

While you are enjoying this beach, there are remote sensing satellites flying high overhead observing the ocean's temperature, the height and shape of the waves, the reflection and heat of the sand, and even the brightness of the sun. These satellites are helping NASA scientists understand how land, ocean, air, and sun move in a global dance that nourishes animals and plants. These satellites also help us to predict the weather, grow the best crops, plan our cities, respond to disasters, find archaeological ruins, and hundreds of other useful things.

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Remote sensing is the process of gathering information about something without touching it. Imagine a day at the beach. You can see the glitter of the ocean and the people in their brightly colored swimsuits. You can also hear the roar of the surf and feel the warmth of the sun. You are doing remote sensing. While you are enjoying this beach, there are remote sensing satellites flying high overhead observing the ocean's temperature, the height and shape of the waves, the reflection and heat of the sand, and even the brightness of the sun. These satellites are helping NASA scientists understand how land, ocean, air, and sun move in a global dance that nourishes animals and plants. These satellites also help us to predict the weather, grow the best crops, plan our cities, respond to disasters, find archaeological ruins, and hundreds of other useful things.