Push broom scanner

A Push broom scanner (along track scanner) is a technology for obtaining satellite images with optical cameras. It is used for passive remote sensing from space. In a push broom sensor, a line of sensors arranged perpendicular to the flight direction of the spacecraft is used. Different areas of the surface are imaged as the spacecraft flies forward. A push broom scanner can gather more light than a whisk broom scanner because it looks at a particular area for a longer time, like a long exposure on a camera. One drawback of pushbroom sensors is the varying sensitivity of the individual detectors. These sensors are also known as survey or wide field devices, comparable to wide angle lenses on conventional cameras.

See also

• Earth Observing-1 (NASA), with animated whisk broom and push broom illustrations