Could you tell me the difference between a "surface reflectance 8b" image with the harmonized option: "normalize data to Sentinel-2 bands for consistent radiometry" applied obtained from the platform with an ARPS image for de same AOI? I know the number of bands is diferent, but I'm not clear on the rest. ARPS products are still not available for the Education & Research program?

Hi ​@belen 

Surface Reflectance 8b with Harmonization

• Bands: Contains 8 bands (SuperDove), but the harmonization tool only normalizes the four core bands (Blue, Green, Red, NIR) to match Sentinel-2. The additional four bands (including red-edge) are not harmonized; they are passed through as-is.

• Harmonization Process: The harmonize tool applies a transformation to the four core bands so their radiometry is consistent with Sentinel-2. This is done at the scene level, and the output file has _harmonize appended to its name. The process is designed to allow data from different PlanetScope generations to be used together with Sentinel-2, but does not create a fully analysis-ready product in the sense of ARPS. The harmonization is not as comprehensive as ARPS and does not include multi-temporal or multi-sensor reference sampling or advanced BRDF normalization.
  Harmonize tool documentation

ARPS (Analysis-Ready PlanetScope) Image

• Bands: Always 4 bands (Blue, Green, Red, NIR), specifically harmonized to match Sentinel-2’s B2, B3, B4, and B8a bands.

• Processing: ARPS uses a much more advanced, multi-step process:

  • Combines data from all PlanetScope generations.

  • Radiometric harmonization is performed using the CESTEM methodology, which leverages multi-temporal, multi-sensor reference data (including Landsat, Sentinel-2, MODIS, VIIRS) and advanced BRDF normalization.

  • Produces Normalized BRDF Adjusted Reflectances (NBAR), ensuring high temporal and spatial consistency and radiometric accuracy.

  • Includes robust quality assurance layers and metadata (STAC).

  • Designed for time-series analysis and machine learning, with rigorous cross-calibration and geometric correction.

• Output: 3 m gridded, orthorectified, 16-bit GeoTIFFs, with a focus on analytic and scientific applications.
  ARPS technical specification
   

ARPS is not available with an E&R account, to see what is available see:  
https://www.planet.com/industries/education-and-research/

Thank you very much for your response. How much does it cost  a subscription to ARPS products?

Please contact sales for any sales and pricing questions! :)