# Satellite Images Other Than Google Earth
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 3, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818 "2010-12-03T15:57:48Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Pierrot\_Le\_Fou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pierrot_Le_Fou)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/1 "2010-12-03T15:57:48Z")
I need to find a satellite image of a property for a certain year. Google Earth doesn’t have that year. Is there someplace else I can go?
---
### Author:  [@Pierrot\_Le\_Fou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pierrot_Le_Fou)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/2 "2010-12-03T16:05:44Z")
I guess it does not have to be a satellite image. Any aerial photograph will work.
---
### Author:  [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/3 "2010-12-03T16:26:31Z")
There are a number of regional and/or local sources for aerial photos. Where is the property in question? And is this a situation where you’re willing to pay, or are you hoping to find something free online? Finding a photo from a specific year may be difficult, but your odds will improve if a commercial aerial photo service is an option.
---
### Author:  [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/4 "2010-12-03T16:34:25Z")
Google the county name with GIS, this will sometimes bring up online property information for the county with more up to date aerial photos.
---
### Author:  [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/5 "2010-12-03T16:37:57Z")
And in any case Google Earth isn’t the original source of the satellite photos anyway. They don’t have their own satellites or airplanes. They buy it from the sources referred to by **Twoflower**.
---
### Author:  [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/6 "2010-12-03T16:48:43Z")
> [@USCDiver](#):
>
> Google the county name with GIS,
Or the state name. My state has a site with a variety of aerial data covering the entire state. My county has a GIS office which doesn’t have anything on the web for the public except information about the office. For my particular state, the search results don’t mix. Searching for my county does not give the state site, at least on the first page of the search results, and vice-versa.
---
### Author:  [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/7 "2010-12-03T16:49:11Z")
You could try the local college, especially if they have a geography department. We had a lot of aerophotos of the local area at mine. The library might have some as well. I would think those would be the first places I’d look. After that I’d try the local airports and see who does the aerophotoraphy in the area. That would probably cost you though.
---
### Author:  [@Pierrot\_Le\_Fou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pierrot_Le_Fou)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/8 "2010-12-03T19:08:21Z")
Thank you. I found what I need.
The thread can be closed.
---
### Author:  [@SurveyorAlpha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurveyorAlpha)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/9 "2010-12-03T20:16:22Z")
Even though you found what you need already, the Department of Agriculture has a program (the **N** ational **A** erial **I** magery **P** rogram) with a nationwide dataset, updated for 2009.
---
### Author:  [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/10 "2010-12-03T23:15:43Z")
> [@SurveyorAlpha](#):
>
> Even though you found what you need already, the Department of Agriculture has a program (the **N** ational **A** erial **I** magery **P** rogram) with a nationwide dataset, updated for 2009.
The [EarthExplorer](http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/EarthExplorer/).
---
### Author:  [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/11 "2010-12-04T04:09:26Z")
Notice the little Google logo in the corner?
---
### Author:  [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/12 "2010-12-04T04:16:18Z")
> [@Nametag](#):
>
> Notice the little Google logo in the corner?
You mean the Google maps application that serves only as an easy guide for selecting a location and searching through the huge range of alternate sources? That one?
Please, next time try using something before snarking.
---
### Author:  [@The\_Conqueror\_Worm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Conqueror_Worm)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2010, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/13 "2010-12-04T06:36:48Z")
Federal, state, county, municipality, I wonder at what level the OP found the required photographic information. I actually worked for an aerial photography company and have since moved into the photogrammetry/land surveying side of things.
---
### Author:  [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2010, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/14 "2010-12-04T08:40:37Z")
Before Google, I used whatever I could get from the [USGS.](http://www.usgs.gov/) That used to be mainly aerial but they might have satellite now too. I don’t know about getting info for a specific year though.
---
### Author:  [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/15 "2010-12-04T17:05:24Z")
No one has mentioned [HistoricAerials.com?](http://historicaerials.com/)
Some of that imagery can also be found in university library or state GIS clearinghouses, but it’s a good place to start.
---
### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2019, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-images-other-than-google-earth/562818/17 "2019-04-09T21:26:05Z")
Reported