Inspect Metadata

Every GONet observation contains a substantial amount of metadata describing the circumstances under which the image was acquired.

The metadata inspection tools provide a convenient way to explore this information without manually parsing image headers or embedded data structures.

Metadata inspection interface

The metadata inspection tool displaying acquisition and camera information for a GONet observation.

Typical Uses

The metadata inspection tool is commonly used to:

  • Verify acquisition settings.

  • Confirm exposure times and ISO values.

  • Check camera configuration.

  • Compare observations from multiple cameras.

  • Review image dimensions and Bayer resolution.

  • Verify timestamps and observation chronology.

  • Inspect environmental and location information.

  • Troubleshoot unexpected image characteristics.

Multiple Files

Multiple images may be inspected simultaneously.

Each file is displayed in its own metadata section, allowing observations to be compared side-by-side by scrolling through the results.

This is particularly useful when comparing observations acquired under different conditions or from different cameras.

Warning

Loading a large number of files simultaneously may increase memory usage and reduce responsiveness.

Available Information

Depending on the contents of the image, the metadata viewer may display information from several categories.

Camera Information

Information describing the camera and acquisition software.

Examples include:

  • Camera model.

  • Hostname.

  • Software version.

  • Sensor configuration.

Acquisition Parameters

Information describing how the image was acquired.

Examples include:

  • Exposure time.

  • ISO setting.

  • Analog gain.

  • White balance configuration.

  • Shutter speed.

Timing Information

Observation timestamps and acquisition chronology.

Examples include:

  • DateTime

  • DateTimeOriginal

  • DateTimeDigitized

Image Geometry

Information describing image dimensions.

Examples include:

  • JPEG width and height.

  • Bayer width and height.

  • Sensor resolution.

Location Information

When available, geographic information may be present.

Examples include:

  • Latitude.

  • Longitude.

  • Altitude.

Image Encoding Information

Low-level image and EXIF metadata.

Examples include:

  • Color space.

  • Component configuration.

  • Resolution units.

  • JPEG encoding parameters.

Accessing the Tool

The metadata inspection tool can be accessed through both the graphical user interface and the command-line interface.

See:

Where to Go Next

Need

Page

Launch metadata inspection from the GUI

Show Metadata GUI guide

Run metadata inspection from the terminal

show_meta CLI reference

Understand GONet image structure

GONet images user guide

Review the implementation API

show API reference