Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographic information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a company acquired by Google in 2004. Have you ever used it? If not then you should try it, its pretty awesome!
As you all probably know, Google Earth creates its maps by superimposing the images of the earth obtained via a satellite imagery, satellite photography, and 3D Geographic Information System (GIS).
Google Earth Not the Same As Google Maps!
So you might ask, "Then what is the difference between Google earth and Google Maps?". A lot of people claim that there is no difference between both the applications. But in reality there are a few differences that make them apart, even if they are not very major ones. For one thing, Google Maps can be accessed and used on the web browser itself. Whereas, Google Earth needs to be downloaded on your computer to be used. Also, while both Google Earth and Google Maps use satellite imagery to share geographical information, such as the location of a building or driving directions, Google Earth provides a more powerful, interactive user experience and offers more tools for learning about a location. The Google Earth experience is one of fast, fluid flight- zooming and rotating and tilting imagery to view the geographic data you're interested in. You can wind along hairpin turns, view buildings in 3D, and fly to businesses near your favorite location. Google Earth also has another additional feature that Google Maps lack. This feature allows users to easily measure distances and areas, draw lines and shapes and even import your own data.
While we can see that Google Earth seems to the better among the two, Google Maps is also popular among consumers. This is because both applications received quite revolutionary functions that lured a considerable number of consumers. While Google Maps received Street View, that innovative feature which shows street-level panoramas from several US cities, Google Earth was updated with Flight Simulator and Sky, two abilities which provide a different perspective over the satellite imagery included in the downloadable tool.
Moreover, Google Earth has a lot of hidden goodies which were not presented by the parent company so you might have some surprises while using the downloadable software solution.
Some Interesting Features of Google Earth
- Flight Simulator:- Since Google Earth v4.2, a flight simulator has been included as a hidden feature (on version 4.3 and above it is not a hidden feature any more and can be accessed from the Tools menu). The Google Earth flight simulator features the ability to fly to any supported locations of the world. The pilot can choose any location to start a flight or attempt to land a flight in the world. Fly time is not very accelerated, as it takes the F-16 at highest speed at least 60 minutes to fly from coast-to-coast in the US. Aircraft can land on any level surface in the world (including under the ocean in Google Earth 5.0) as long as the aircraft is below 250knots and is falling at less than 610 m (2,000 ft) per minute when touching ground. However, with an extremely low descent rate, aircraft can land at as much as 600 knots. This requires an extremely long runway distance to stop safely. When landing at any speed higher than that, such as 700 knots, the aircraft's virtual nose gear will compress so much into the virtual fuselage that the simulator will tell the user that the plane has crashed. Here is a video on how to get started with the flight simulator.
- Sky Mode:- Google Sky is a feature that was introduced in Google Earth 4.2 on August 22, 2007, and allows users to view stars and othercelestial bodies.
- Street View:- Google Street View provides 360° panoramic street-level views and allows users to view parts of selected cities and their surrounding metropolitan areas at ground level.
- Ocean:- Introduced in version 5.0 (February 2009), the Google Ocean feature allows users to zoom below the surface of the ocean and view the 3D bathymetry beneath the waves. Supporting over 20 content layers, it contains information from leading scientists and oceanographers. On April 14, 2009, Google added underwater terrain data for the Great Lakes.
- Historical Imagery:- Introduced in version 5.0, Historical Imagery allows users to traverse back in time and study earlier stages of any place. This feature is very useful for research purposes that require analysis of past records of various places.
- Mars:- Google Earth 5 includes a separate globe of the planet Mars, that can be viewed and analysed for research purposes. The maps are of a much higher resolution than those on the browser version of Google Mars and it also includes 3D renderings of the Martian terrain. There are also some extremely high resolution images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's HiRISE camera that are of a similar resolution to those of the cities on Earth. Finally, there are many high resolution panoramic images from various Mars landers, such as the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, that can be viewed in a similar way to Google Street View. Interestingly enough, layers on Google Earth (such as World Population Density) can also be applied to Mars. Layers of Mars can also be applied onto Earth. Mars also has a small application found near the face on Mars. It is called Meliza, and features a chat between you and an automatic robot speaker. It is useful for research on Mars, but is not recommended for normal conversations.
- Moon:- On July 20, 2009, the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, Google introduced the Google Earth version of Google Moon, which allows users to view satellite images of the Moon. It was announced and demonstrated to a group of invited guests by Google along with Buzz Aldrin at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.
So what are you all waiting for, go and check out Google Earth for yourselves. It is pretty incredible! Who knows what the future of Google Earth is like?
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