Part 1—Download Images and Software

Step 1 –
Download the Images

NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio has prepared Landsat data into a set of three time-series images. Each image shows the Pearl River delta region in China at a different time. Use the following links to download the 3 images to your computer.

Thumbnail of three satellite images

Image 1 ( 391kB May8 04)

Image 2 ( 373kB May8 04)

Image 3 ( 406kB May8 04)

Note: See the Going Further section for links to additional sets of registered images for practicing this technique.

  1. Click the Image 1 ( 391kB May8 04) link to open the image, then right-click the image to display a menu of choices. (Mac users—hold down the ctrl key and click)
  2. Select the browser command to download the image to your computer. The command may read Save Image As..., Download Image to Disk, or Download Linked File As... depending on your browser application.
    Selecting the Save Image As... option

  3. Select a place to store the images (put them in your Downloads folder, or create a new folder named Pearl River Images).
  4. Keep the default image name, and click Save. Depending on how your computer handles downloaded files, you may need to change or add a .jpg extension to each file name.
  5. Repeat for Image 2 ( 373kB May8 04) and Image 3 ( 406kB May8 04).

Troubleshooting note: You must download and save each of the three images to your hard drive. This is necessary so that you will be able to open the image files within the image processing software in Part 2.


Step 2 –
Download and Install ImageJ Software

ImageJ is in the public domain. It can be freely downloaded and installed on any computer including those at schools, homes, and businesses.
  1. Go to the ImageJ Download page and open it in a new window.
    ImageJ Download page

  2. Click the link that appears directly below the name of your computer's operating system (e.g., Mac, Linux, Windows). This action will transfer a compressed file of the software to your computer. Your browser should automatically expand the file, creating an ImageJ folder on your computer's hard drive.

    3. For more detailed instructions from the ImageJ website, click Installation Instructions, then select your operating system.

Note to Windows Users: It is recommended that you install ImageJ in the Documents directory, rather than in the Program Files directory. For security reasons, Windows 7 and Windows Vista do not allow programs to alter themselves by writing files to the Program Files directory. If ImageJ is installed in the Program Files directory, then the update function in Step 3 below will not work properly. In addition, if you are a Windows Vista user, be sure to choose the correct version of ImageJ (either 32-bit or 64-bit) for your computer.

Step 3 –
Update or Downgrade ImageJ

ImageJ Updater Window ImageJ update dialog box.

Double-click the ImageJ icon ImageJ Icon Small to launch the application and choose Help > Update > ImageJ.... A window will appear, telling you the version you are currently running and a list of upgrade versions. Choose the version you want to upgrade to (usually the most recent, or default version) and click OK. After the update downloads, you will need to re-launch ImageJ to run the new version.


ImageJ Updater Window Options ImageJ update dialog box showing upgrade and downgrade options.

ImageJ is a professional research and analysis tool, and is under constant development. If the latest update of the application introduces new bugs or errors, or has an unfamiliar interface that does not match written instructions, you can downgrade your copy of ImageJ to an older, more stable or familiar version.


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