In this monthly article, we travel the world to check out unique, fun and sometimes a bit weird 30-centimeter (cm) color imagery samples from the WorldView constellation. In September, we looked at skyscrapers in New York City. For this edition of the 30-cm Color WorldView Image of the Month, we feature images of Absheron National Park in Azerbaijan.
30-cm WorldView-3 (WV3) launched in late 2014, WorldView-4 (WV4) launched in late 2016 and then the first WorldView Legion satellites launched in 2024. Taken together, this is the most advanced satellite constellation the commercial marketplace has ever had access to. Here are a few of the features that really set these satellites apart from the competition:
Absheron National Park was established in February 2005 on the base of Absheron State Nature Preserve, which was created in July 1969 in order to protect gazelles, Caspian seals and water birds that inhabit the territory. In dry areas, gazelles, jackals, foxes, rabbits and badgers roam, while in the waters of the Caspian you can find seals, various fish, and birds such as silver gull, wheezing swan, grey and red-headed black, white-eyed black ducks, big white bittern, sandpiper, bald-coot, marsh belibagli, sea bozcha and other migrant birds. More than 50 species of birds can be found here, making it a haven for birdwatchers. Visitors can spot gulls, terns, ducks, waders and various raptors, many of which migrate along the Caspian coastline. The short-eared owl, a nesting species, is a highlight during autumn. Absheron National Park is also home to several snake species, adding to the park’s reptilian diversity. The park also boasts 25 species of plants that contribute to the unique ecosystem found within its borders. Historically, Caspian Seals would visit the park’s shores between May and August, providing a rare opportunity to observe these small and endangered seals. In the images below, we can see the national park, the Caspian coastline and the complex spatial patterns of each. This 30-cm WorldView Legion image was collected June 2, 2025, and has custom processing and color balance applied by Apollo Mapping. (Satellite Imagery © 2025 Maxar Technologies)- Improved Resolution
- Higher resolution means you can see more detail in WorldView imagery.
- Data collected at nadir will have 31-centimeter (cm) panchromatic, 1.24-meter (m) visible and near infrared, 3.7-m SWIR (WV3 only) and 30-m CAVIS (WV3 only) bands.
- Additional Spectral Bands
- If spectral analysis is part of your project, then no other satellite can match WorldView-3 and WorldView Legion with their 8 bands of visible and near-infrared data; and then 8 shortwave infrared bands (WV3 only) which are crucial for geological studies.
- Better Positional Accuracy
- With accuracies of 3.5-m CE90% or better (without ground control even!), the 30-cm WorldView constellation has no rivals for its enhanced positional accuracy.
- Daily Revisits
- With multiple WorldView-3 and WorldView Legion satellites orbiting our planet, daily revisits are available for most locations.
- WV4 is no longer collecting new imagery.
- Increased Collection Capacity
- WV3/4 feature 13.1-km swath widths (at nadir) with the ability to collect up to 680,000 square kilometers (sq km) of high-resolution data per day per satellite (though WV4 is dead now).
- When fully launched, WorldView Legion will feature six 30-cm satellites, significantly boosting the collection capacity of this leading high-resolution constellation.
If you are interested in WorldView-3, WorldView-4 and/or WorldView Legion imagery for your next project, please let us know by phone, 303-993-3863, or by email, sales@apollomapping.com.
You can also find more WV3 samples and technical information on our website here; WV4 samples and information can be found here; and then finally here is more information about WorldView Legion.
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