Aerial View Maps

what is the difference between Aerial Photographs and Satellite Imagery Data?

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1. Aerial Photographs are taken by a camera in an airplane. The altitude varies depending on the purpose of the photo, but is typically about 5,000 - 30,000 feet. Satellite Imagery Data is taken by a Satellite orbit at an altitude of several hundred to several thousand miles, depending on the use for the images
2. Aerial photography is done by aircraft, so (1) there's a theoretical upper limit to how high the photos can be taken (the current manned altitude record is 69.6 miles, to give you an idea); (2) it necessarily implies atmospheric flight; (3) the trajectory of the craft taking the photos is ultimately suborbital. Satellite Imagery Data is taken from a satellite in orbit around the earth, so (1) the craft taking the photos is in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) or higher--LEO is commonly accepted as beginning at about 100 miles; (2) they are taken above the atmosphere.