Google Earth news stories on Newser

Has Google Earth Stumbled on China Satellite Targets?

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 01:58:43 CST

The weird giant hen scratches spotted in the Gobi Desert by Google Earth might be Chinese—and not proof of aliens from outer space. Observers have been puzzled by the strange markings seen from space. But now some experts believe the marks were painted on land to help calibrate China's...

Google Earth Archeologist Finds 2K Potential Sites

John Johnson — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:29:05 CST

It's another example in the growing field of what New Scientist dubs "armchair archeology": An Australian scientist has used Google Earth to identify nearly 2,000 sites of interest in otherwise hard-to-reach Saudi Arabia. More than half appear to be ancient tombs made of stone, though only an on-the-ground investigation...

Gawker Finds God —on Google Street View

Nick McMaster — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:11:02 CDT

Not even the almighty is safe from Google's cameras. Or so it appears, based on an image on Google Street View taken over a lake in Switzerland, notes Gawker . "Is it something on the camera lens?" asks Max Read. "Or is it maybe... God and His only begotten Son ?"

Massive Meteor Crater Found by Google Earth

Nick McMaster — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:53:07 CDT

An Italian mineralogist found a massive meteor crater in the Egyptian desert using only Google Earth, the Telegraph reports. The meteor is thought to have hit as recently as a few thousand years ago, and geologists say its impact site is one of the best preserved ever found. The previously...

Man Writes Massive Message Across US Via GPS

Slurge — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:15:00 CDT

An ambitious man drove more 12,000 miles and through 30 states to write a message on the globe he feels the world should know: "Read Ayn Rand." Following a planned route, Nick Newcomen traced his path on a GPS logger, turning it on to write letters and off between...

'Jesus' Seen on Google Earth

Mary Papenfuss — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 12:13:00 CDT

An Internet surfer perusing Google Earth has reported finding what he calls the face of Jesus in a pattern of fields in Hungary. "I'm not a religious person looking for images of Mary or Jesus in everything, but this is obvious," said Zack Evans, 26, a sales assistant who lives...

Google Earth Updates Views for Quake Groups

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:00:00 CST

Google Earth is updating views of Haiti at the request of relief organizations seeking current information to aid rescue efforts. Google, working with geospatial image company GeoEye, has already released an overlay for Google Earth showing post-earthquake devastation while also maintaining views before the massive tragedy.

Google Earth, Al Gore Detail Climate Change

Harry Kimball — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:41:38 CDT

Google—with the help of Al Gore—has introduced new “layers” to its Earth application that detail the possible effects of climate change in the next century. The Nobel laureate narrates an intro to a series of virtual tours that highlight terrifying scenarios and solutions. The upgrade allows users to...

Google Earth Visits Moon

Matt Cantor — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:58:11 CDT

Google Earth is no longer restricted to its namesake: on the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, the latest version of the software lets users explore the moon in 3-D, the Financial Post reports. “Forty years ago, two human beings walked on the Moon," said the project manager. "Starting...