We proposed a single-channel algorithm for land surface temperature retrieval from thermal infrared data of Tiangong-1 hyperspectral imager

the inputs of the algorithm were atmospheric water vapor content and land surface emissivity. The algorithm was evaluated by MODTRAN simulation data and ground measurements from the Heihe Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research (HiWATER). The results indicated that the proposed algorithm achieved a reasonable accuracy

with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 2.72 K

which can satisfy the needs of most applications. Four Tiangong-1 thermal infrared images of Beijing city were used for analyzing the urban heat island effect

and the results indicate that Tiangong-1 thermal infrared data are suitable for the study of urban heat island effect at district level and have great potential for future applications.