Geolocation

Pinning each pixel of satellite data to its true spot on Earth — the precise latitude and longitude that measurement came from. Without it, an image is just numbers with no place.

Why it matters

Accurate geolocation lets data line up with maps and with other satellites, so a fire, flood, or field shows up in the right location and measurements from different sensors can be compared pixel for pixel.

Where you’ll meet it

• MODIS and VIIRS ship separate geolocation files that give the coordinates for every pixel.
• GEDI and ICESat-2 report the exact ground location of each laser footprint.
• Most NASA products include geolocation as a core step in Level-1 processing.

In plain terms

It’s like geotagging a photo on your phone — the picture is useful, but knowing exactly where it was taken is what lets you put it on the map.