The sensitivity of the on-board sensors of satellites, has been designed in such a way
that they record a wide range of brightness characteristics, under a wide range of illumination
conditions. Few individual scenes show a brightness range that fully utilizes
the brightness range of the detectors. The goal of contrast enhancement is to improve
the visual interpretability of an image, by increasing the apparent distinction between
the features in the scene. Although the human mind is excellent in distinguishing and
interpreting spatial features in an image, the eye is rather poor at discriminating the
subtle differences in reflectance that characterize such features. By using contrast
enhancement techniques these slight differences are amplified to make them readily
observable.
Contrast stretch is also used to minimize the effect of haze. Scattered light that reaches
the sensor directly from the atmosphere, without having interacted with objects at
the earth surface, is called haze or path radiance. Haze results in overall higher DN
values and this additive effect results in a reduction of the contrast in an image. The
haze effect is different for the spectral ranges recorded; highest in the blue, and lowest
in the infra red range of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Techniques used for contrast enhancement are: the linear stretching technique and the
histogram equalization. To enhance specific data ranges showing certain land cover
types the piece-wise linear contrast stretch can be applied.
A computer monitor on which the satellite imagery is displayed is capable of displaying
256 gray levels (0 - 255). This corresponds with the resolution of most satellite
images, as their digital numbers also vary within the range of 0 to 255. To produce an
image of optimal contrast, it is important to utilize the full brightness range (from
black to white through a variety of gray tones) of the display medium.