Background
Area on an image or the terrain that surrounds an area of interest, or target.

Backscatter
In radar, the portion of the microwave energy scattered by the terrain surface
directly back toward the antenna.

Backscatter coefficient
A quantitative measure of the intensity of energy returned to a radar antenna from the terrain.

Band
A wavelength interval in the electromagnetic spectrum. For example, in Landsat images the bands designate specific wavelength intervals at which images are acquired.

Base
height ratio-Air base divided by aircraft height. This ratio determines vertical exaggeration on stereo models.

Batch processing
Method of data processing in which data and programs are entered into a computer that carries out the entire processing operation with no further instructions.

Bathymetry
Configuration of the seafloor.

Beam
A focused pulse of energy.

Bin
One of a series of equal intervals in a range of data, most commonly employed to describe
the divisions in a histogram.

Binary
Numerical system using the base 2.

Bit
Contraction of binary digit, which in digital computing represents an exponent of the base 2.

Blackbody
An ideal substance that absorbs all the radiant energy incident on it and emits radiant energy at the maximum possible rate per unit area at each wavelength for any given temperature. No actual substance is a true blackbody, although some substances, such as lampblack, approach its properties.

Blind spot
The point of the optic nerve to the retina where no radiation is detected by the eye.

Brightness
Magnitude of the response produced in the eye by light.

Brute
force radar-See real-aperture radar.

Byte
A group of eight bits of digital data.