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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

TerraServer U.S.A...

Here is quite a cool site that will show you your home, zoomed in from space.

www.terraserver.microsoft.com/

Just punch in your address and...voila!

It's quite amazing at the detail it can achieve, That I can actually count items in my little piece of the Earth.

Now...if TerraServer can do this, no reason Lunar orbiting satellites can't do the same. Sorry, topic for another board, but I couldn't help it!...

[Rocketman]

I agree. I found my house using Terraserver. The images are outdated though.

[Maddad]

Outdated or not, I can see the roof of my apartment building.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

And this is just a consumer plaything...imagine what the military satellites are capable of!...

Google also has a similar capability to peer down from space.

maps.google.com

Cool stuff...

[Al Degutis]

We used GlobalExplorer which was available via MapQuest two years ago to look at properties for sale. We wanted at least an acre of land away from city congestion. Using the aerial views we found that some 1-2 acre lots were smack dab inside city and towns so we avoided them. Save us some time considering we were traveling 1 1/2 hours to get to these urban areas.

More recently (last month) we used the aerial views of Microsoft's TerraServer to scout out a rentals for a week long vacation in August. The one that sounded best based on the written description (on a lake, boat available, jacuzzi, etc) turned out to be only a quarter mile from the expressway and a quarter mile away from trains tracks.

Plus, I've been using the long/lat coordinates to see which location has darker skies. Just don't tell my wife that part... she thinks the scope is staying home. LOL

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

An excellent and practical use of satellite mapping.

And...you secret is safe with me...

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I read in this month's issue of PC Magazine, that Google's mapping is much more current, (2 months to a year), than Terraservers, which can be many years old.

Eitherway, it's still cool.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

World Wind 1.3

Here's another cool one straight from NASA...

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World Wind lets you zoom from satellite altitude into any place on Earth. Leveraging Landsat satellite imagery and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission data, World Wind lets you experience Earth terrain in visually rich 3D, just as if you were really there.

Virtually visit any place in the world. Look across the Andes, into the Grand Canyon, over the Alps, or along the African Sahara.

Get it here: www.worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/

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I haven't tried it out yet, but from what I read about it, it's well worth trying out.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Google Earth – Explore, Search and Discover A 3D interface to the planet

Fly from space to your neighborhood. Type in an address and zoom right in.

Search for schools, parks, restaurants, and hotels. Get driving directions.

Tilt and rotate the view to see 3D terrain and buildings.

Save and share your searches and favorites. Even add your own annotations

Get it here: earth.google.com/

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It's pretty graphic intense, may not run on slower computers.