Panchromatic Imaging

• Falls within visible light range
• Bandwidth stretches to Red, Green, and Blue regions of the visible spectrum

Panchromatic images appear black and white because the band is a combination of RGB that are usually collected separately. This allows for greater spatial resolution at the expense of being able to differentiate color.

From a panchromatic image alone we are able to tell how reflective objects are in a given area.

Information contained in each pixel of a panchromatic image is, therefore, directly related to the total intensity of solar radiation that is reflected by the objects in the pixel and is detected by the satellite sensor -Stars Project

This is a common application for panchromatic images. The process combines a panchromatic image with a multiband image where the former enhances the spatial resolution of the latter. The multiband image also improves the spectral resolution of the panchromatic image and the result is a much clear picture in terms of color and detail.