Using Planet in GEE

last updated: March 27, 2024

Using Planet in Google Earth Engine

Setting Band Combinations

Set band combinations to visualize the Planet map layer. True color settings produce a natural visualization. False color visualizations reveal and enhance spectral data otherwise invisible to the human eye.

For example, re-ordering the near-infrared, green and red bands from 8-band imagery emphasizes the near-infrared features that can highlight vegetation health.

For more information on Planet spectral bands, see the Band order and sensor frequency table at Understanding PlanetScope Instruments.

Visualizing 8-band Imagery

True Color

The following example displays the natural red, green, and blue bands from the imagery:

Map.addLayer(imageCollection, {"opacity":1,"bands":["B6","B4","B2"],"min":405.79,"max":4499.71,"gamma":2.331})

False Color Infrared

In the following example, by ordering near infrared, green, and red bands you can create a false color infrared display that highlights the near-infrared data in the imagery. False color infrared is useful for seeing differences in vegetation.

Map.addLayer(imageCollection, {"opacity":1,"bands":["B8","B4","B6"],"min":405.79,"max":4499.71,"gamma":2.331})

Band Math

NDVI on 8-band Imagery

Map.addLayer(image.normalizedDifference(['B8', 'B6']).rename('NDVI'), {min: -1, max: 1, palette: ['blue', 'white', 'green']});

Working with Cloud Masks: UDM2

Visualizing Usable Pixels

Ordering a Planet analytic_sr_udm2 appends the Usable Data Mask 2.0 (UDM2 bands to PlanetScope images, resulting in a twelve band image in Earth Engine.

Map.addLayer(image.select('Q8'), {min: 0, max: 1, palette: ['black', 'white']});

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