Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! That’s exactly what the pre-watermarked asset packs are for. You can download ready-to-use images from any date’s page with proper attribution already embedded. Just:

Visit any date page (e.g., 2023-10-07)
Click the “Download Assets” button
Choose your preferred font style
Use the images in your content

The watermarked versions include proper Copernicus Sentinel-2 attribution, date/time stamps, and satellite identifiers. Citation files in MLA and Chicago formats are also included if you need them for academic use.

Q: How often is the site updated?

The site is updated as new satellite imagery becomes available from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. Sentinel-2 satellites revisit the same area every few days, so new analyses are typically added within that timeframe, depending on satellite coverage and cloud conditions over Gaza.

Q: Is it really free?

Yes. All satellite imagery and analysis on Sentinel Bird is completely free to access and download. The underlying Sentinel-2 data is provided by the European Space Agency’s Copernicus program as open data, and we are committed that this will never be behind a paywall. This resource will remain freely available to researchers, journalists, educators, and the public.

Q: Who are you?

Sentinel Bird is developed by West, a historian, data scientist, disabled veteran/infantryman, Montana boy, and american citizen. He’s passionate about the intersection of satellite imagery and social justice, and believes in the power of open data and transparent analysis to inform public discourse.

Q: Why did you start Sentinel Bird?

Sentinel Bird was created to make powerful geospatial analysis accessible to everyone. While satellite data has been freely available through programs like Copernicus, analyzing and interpreting this data requires significant technical expertise and computing resources. We bridge that gap by providing pre-generated asset packs with ready-to-use visualizations, appropriate watermarks, citations, and a pre-cleaned dataset ready for Machine Learning and AI applications—all completely free for content creators, journalists, researchers, and educators.

Q: What technologies do you use?

Sentinel Bird is built entirely with open-source technologies. Our analysis pipeline uses Python with geospatial libraries (GDAL, Rasterio, NumPy, Pandas), PyTorch for machine learning, and OmniCloudMask for cloud detection. Data is stored in PostgreSQL/PostGIS, and the site is generated with Hugo. The raw data comes from ESA’s Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites via the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem. For a complete list, see our License & Attribution page.

Q: Are you working on other areas?

Currently, Sentinel Bird focuses on monitoring Gaza. We’re a single-person organization operating at a loss each month. If the project gains support, we will expand. Ideally, Sentinel Bird will cover far more than Gaza.

Q: How can I contribute to Sentinel Bird?

There are several ways to contribute: you can help identify issues with the website, send us your hard-earned money, suggest improvements, or better yet, use these resources and spread the word. Reach out directly at [email protected] to discuss how you can help.

Q: Can we collaborate?

Absolutely. We’re open to collaborations with researchers, journalists, educators, and other organizations interested in satellite imagery analysis. Whether it’s for a specific project, educational purposes, or long-term partnership, feel free to contact us at [email protected] to discuss opportunities.

Q: What can I use these assets for?

You can use this site for educational purposes, journalism, research, social media content, YouTube videos, presentations, or any other non-commercial or commercial use. The underlying Sentinel-2 data is open and free. Our original analysis, commentary, and visualizations are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Proper attribution to Copernicus Sentinel-2 is already included in our pre-watermarked asset packs. See our License & Attribution page for details.

Q: What is my money used for?

Sentinel Bird is a completely free service and will never be behind a paywall. Sentinel Bird is not profitable; your money supports the site directly in the form of web hosting, computing, and more. Our mission is to keep pre-generated satellite analysis freely accessible to journalists, researchers, educators, and the public. Thank you for keeping the lights on.