Addative Color & Composites
Our computer screens use the RGB color model. However, a satellite like Landsat 8 doesn't just see Red, Green, and Blue—it sees Infrared, Thermal, and more. When we assign a non-visible band (like NIR) to one of our screen's RGB channels, we create a False Color Composite.
🔬 Interactive Band Combiner
Use the controls below to simulate how different band combinations change the appearance of a landscape.
Active Composite: True Color (4,3,2)
This combination uses the visible bands. It looks like what the human eye would see from space. Forests are green, water is blue-black, and cities are grey.
This combination uses the visible bands. It looks like what the human eye would see from space. Forests are green, water is blue-black, and cities are grey.
Why Use False Color?
Different surfaces reflect light in non-visible wavelengths. For example, in a Color Infrared (5,4,3) composite:
- Vegetation appears bright red because plants reflect NIR light (Band 5) extremely strongly.
- Water appears almost black because it absorbs NIR light.
- Urban Areas look cyan or grey.
This allows researchers to detect drought, unhealthy crops, or illegal logging much faster than with standard photos.