Free satellite imagery deep-link generator
Type a lat/lon and date. The page generates one-click deep-links into nine free satellite-imagery archives — Sentinel Hub EO Browser (Sentinel-2 optical), Copernicus Browser (Sentinel-1/2/3/5p), ASF Vertex (Sentinel-1 SAR through-cloud), NASA Worldview (MODIS daily), USGS Earth Explorer (Landsat archive back to 1972), NASA FIRMS (active fires), Windy (atmosphere overlays), Copernicus EMS (rapid-response disaster maps), and Planet stories — plus six base maps for cross-reference (Google, Bing, Yandex, OSM, Mapillary, SunCalc).
For OSINT, conflict monitoring, environmental investigation, and journalism: when verifying claims about a specific location at a specific time, the right archive depends on what you need. Sentinel-2 for clear-weather optical, Sentinel-1 SAR when clouds block optical, MODIS for continent-scale phenomena, FIRMS for fire/heat anomalies, Worldview for daily true-color disaster overviews. The deep-links remove the manual step of finding the right viewer URL parameters.
For interpretation help see Bellingcat's satellite imagery guide. For automated change detection use the Sentinel Hub Custom Scripts library. For commercial sub-meter imagery (Planet, Maxar) you'll need a paid account.
Frequently asked questions
Why are some links to search pages instead of direct imagery?
Sentinel Hub, NASA Worldview, and Copernicus all support deep-linking by lat/lon/date and will load directly to the right area and time. ASF Vertex (Sentinel-1 SAR) supports lat/lon centering but you select the dataset in the UI. USGS Earth Explorer doesn't reliably accept lat/lon URL parameters; you paste them into the search form on arrival.
Which platform should I use first?
For a quick "what does this place look like right now" question, start with Sentinel Hub EO Browser — Sentinel-2 imagery is free, 10m resolution, and refreshes every 5 days. If clouds block your target, try Sentinel-1 SAR via ASF Vertex (sees through clouds). For dramatic events like fires, conflict, or floods, NASA FIRMS (active fires) and NASA Worldview (daily MODIS) are best.
How fresh is the imagery?
Sentinel-2: every 5 days at the equator, faster at higher latitudes. Sentinel-1 SAR: every 6-12 days. MODIS Terra/Aqua: twice daily. Landsat 8/9: every 8 days combined. Planet Labs (commercial): daily but only public-licensed scenes are free. Maxar (sub-meter): commercial license required.
Can I get imagery from before 2015?
For a specific spot in time use USGS Earth Explorer — Landsat archive goes back to 1972. Sentinel-2 starts in 2015. For 1980s-2000s look at Corona declassified imagery (also via USGS).
What's the difference between Worldview and EO Browser?
Worldview is NASA's global daily MODIS/VIIRS browser at ~250m-500m resolution — perfect for continent-wide patterns (smoke plumes, dust storms, hurricanes). EO Browser is for high-resolution Sentinel-2 imagery (10m) with band controls — perfect for a single town or facility.
Is this legal?
Yes everywhere. All linked services serve publicly-licensed imagery (ESA Copernicus open data policy, NASA open data, USGS public domain) or operate under their own published terms. The deep-links here just navigate you to the source provider's viewer with parameters pre-filled.