Satellite OSINT & Land Analysis
Open satellite maps via deeplinks. Capture at multiple zoom levels. Analyze land/structures.
🚀 CRITICAL: Address-First Approach (FASTEST METHOD)
ALWAYS try the address directly in the URL first. Both Google Maps and Apple Maps auto-geocode addresses - no parsing needed!
Apple Maps (Preferred - Native macOS, Fastest)
open "maps://?q=110+Clover+St+Cedar+Creek+Texas&t=h"
open "maps://?t=h&ll=30.0872,-97.5014&z=18"
Google Maps (Alternative - Browser-based)
open "https://www.google.com/maps/search/110+Clover+St+Cedar+Creek+Texas/@?layer=satellite"
open "https://www.google.com/maps/@30.0872,-97.5014,18z/data=!3m1!1e3"
Force Satellite View with AppleScript
osascript -e 'tell app "Maps" to activate' \
-e 'delay 1' \
-e 'tell app "System Events" to keystroke "3" using command down'
Only Geocode If:
- ❌ You need exact lat/lon for calculations
- ❌ The address format is unusual or international
- ❌ You're doing multi-location analysis with coordinates
NEVER waste tool calls geocoding when the address works directly in the URL!
Obtaining Coordinates
From Address (Geocoding - No API Key)
ADDRESS="123+Main+St,+Des+Moines,+Iowa"
curl -s "https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=${ADDRESS}&format=json" | jq -r '.[0] | "\(.lat),\(.lon)"'
From Device Location (macOS)
osascript -e 'tell application "System Events" to get the value of location'
swift -e 'import CoreLocation; let m=CLLocationManager(); if let l=m.location { print("\(l.coordinate.latitude),\(l.coordinate.longitude)") }'
From IP (Approximate - Fallback)
curl -s "https://ipapi.co/json" | jq -r '"\(.latitude),\(.longitude)"'
Manual Lookup
- Google Maps: Right-click location → "What's here?" → coordinates appear at bottom
- Apple Maps: Long-press to drop pin → tap pin → coordinates in info panel
- What3Words: Convert 3-word address at what3words.com
From Property Address (Google Geocoding)
curl -s "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json?address=123+Farm+Rd,+Iowa&key=YOUR_KEY" | jq -r '.results[0].geometry.location | "\(.lat),\(.lng)"'
URL Patterns (Use with bash open command)
Google Maps Satellite
https://www.google.com/maps/@{LAT},{LON},{ZOOM}z/data=!3m1!1e3
- ZOOM: 1-21 (21=max detail, 18=buildings clear, 15=property, 12=region)
Google Earth Web
https://earth.google.com/web/@{LAT},{LON},{ALT}a,35y,0h,0t,0r
- ALT: altitude in meters (500=high detail, 2000=overview)
Bing Maps Aerial
https://www.bing.com/maps?cp={LAT}~{LON}&lvl={ZOOM}&style=a
Sentinel Hub (Agricultural/NDVI)
https://apps.sentinel-hub.com/eo-browser/?zoom={ZOOM}&lat={LAT}&lng={LON}
ESRI World Imagery
https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?center={LON},{LAT}&level={ZOOM}
Execution Examples
Method 1: Direct Address (FASTEST)
open "maps://?q=110+Clover+St+Cedar+Creek+Texas&t=h"
sleep 4
screencapture -x ~/Desktop/satellite_capture.png
Method 2: Address with Multi-Zoom (Apple Maps)
ADDRESS="110+Clover+St+Cedar+Creek+Texas"
open "maps://?q=${ADDRESS}&t=h&z=12"
sleep 4
screencapture -x ~/Desktop/overview_z12.png
open "maps://?q=${ADDRESS}&t=h&z=16"
sleep 4
screencapture -x ~/Desktop/property_z16.png
open "maps://?q=${ADDRESS}&t=h&z=19"
sleep 4
screencapture -x ~/Desktop/structures_z19.png
Method 3: Coordinates with Multi-Zoom (Google Maps)
LAT=37.7749; LON=-122.4194
open "https://www.google.com/maps/@${LAT},${LON},12z/data=!3m1!1e3"
sleep 4
screencapture -x ~/Desktop/z12.png
open "https://www.google.com/maps/@${LAT},${LON},16z/data=!3m1!1e3"
sleep 4
screencapture -x ~/Desktop/z16.png
open "https://www.google.com/maps/@${LAT},${LON},19z/data=!3m1!1e3"
sleep 4
screencapture -x ~/Desktop/z19.png
Method 4: With AppleScript for Reliable Satellite View
osascript <<'EOF'
property theAddress : "110 Clover St, Cedar Creek, Texas"
-- Open Apple Maps with satellite view
do shell script "open 'maps://?q=" & theAddress & "&t=h'"
tell application "Maps"
activate
end tell
delay 2
-- Force satellite view (Cmd+3)
tell application "System Events"
tell process "Maps"
keystroke "3" using command down
end tell
end tell
delay 4
-- Fullscreen for better screenshot
tell application "System Events"
tell process "Maps"
keystroke "f" using {command down, control down}
end tell
end tell
delay 1
-- Capture
do shell script "screencapture -x ~/Desktop/satellite_" & (do shell script "date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S") & ".png"
EOF
Screenshot commands
screencapture -x ~/Desktop/capture.png
screencapture -i ~/Desktop/selection.png
screencapture -T 5 -x ~/Desktop/delayed.png
Visual Verification (CRITICAL STEP)
After opening the map, ALWAYS verify you're looking at the correct location!
Why This Matters:
- Last session used approximate town coordinates (Cedar Creek center) instead of actual property
- Result: 4 wrong screenshots wasted before discovery
- Prevention: Analyze first screenshot to confirm correct location before multi-zoom sequence
Complete Workflow (Agent Must Follow)
Step 1: Detect Input Type
- User provides ADDRESS → Use directly in URL (Method 1 or 2)
- User provides COORDINATES → Use in URL (Method 3)
- User says "my location" → Get device location first
Step 2: Open Map with Address/Coordinates
open "maps://?q=ADDRESS&t=h"
open "https://www.google.com/maps/search/ADDRESS/@?layer=satellite"
Step 3: Wait for Tiles
sleep 4
Step 4: Capture Screenshot
screencapture -x ~/Desktop/satellite_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).png
Step 5: Visual Verification
Step 6: Multi-Zoom Analysis (Optional)
Zoom Level Reference
| Zoom | View Level | Use Case |
|---|
| 10-12 | County/Region | Context, neighboring properties |
| 13-15 | Township | Property boundaries, road access |
| 16-17 | Property | Field layout, major structures |
| 18-19 | Buildings | Structure identification |
| 20-21 | Detail | Roof condition, equipment |
Provider Selection
| Need | Best Provider |
|---|
| General/Buildings | Google Maps |
| 3D/Terrain | Google Earth |
| Crop health/NDVI | Sentinel Hub |
| Alternative imagery | Bing Maps |
| Historical | Google Earth timeline |
Farm Analysis Workflow
- Overview (zoom 12): Regional context, access roads
- Property (zoom 16): Boundaries, field divisions
- Structures (zoom 19): Building inventory
- Crop Analysis: Use Sentinel for vegetation indices
Coordinate Format
Use Decimal Degrees (DD):
- Latitude: -90 to 90 (negative = South)
- Longitude: -180 to 180 (negative = West)
- Example: 37.7749, -122.4194
Output Organization
Save captures to organized folders:
~/Desktop/farm_analysis/
├── overview/ (zoom 10-14)
├── property/ (zoom 15-17)
├── structures/ (zoom 18-21)
Integration
Use bash tool to execute open commands. Use sleep 3-5 between URL and screenshot to allow tiles to load. Maximize browser window for best capture quality.
