20 Places You Didn't Know You Can See from Space
There's a very common misconception that says that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space. Luckily for astronauts, that's not true, as there are many other places they can see from space stations that orbit around the Earth. And actually, the Great Wall of China isn't very clearly visible from space if it's not under very favorable conditions. Of course, thanks to more and more powerful digital cameras, the limits of what's possible to see from space are being shattered every year.
Don't worry, if Google Earth couldn't find you, then a space station won't be able to see you either. But they can see a lot of structures, mountains, cities, lakes, mines, and rivers from space, and doing so helps to check their evolution over time to find interesting data.
So, here are some places you probably didn't know you could see from space.
Walker Lake, Nevada
With 11 miles long and 5 miles wide, it can be seen from space, like many other lakes and rivers around the world.
USA Lights
Big cities can be seen from space stations thanks to their lights, and here you can see different US cities on a cloudy Earth.
Pellegrini Lake and Neuquen River
And nothing else around them in Argentine Patagonia.
Owens Lake, California
The dry lake can be seen from space and is a unique sight.
Mount Fuji
The Japanese mountain is easy to see from space when it's covered in snow.
Melbourne, Australia
Roads and bridges are distinguishable from space under the right conditions.
Las Vegas
You can clearly see Las Vegas strip right in the middle thanks to the massive amount of colored lights.
Robinson Crusoe Island
Seen with cloudy weather.
Icy Lake in China
It's amazing what you can see from space under the most favorable weather and light conditions.
Giza Pyramids
This is how aliens controlled the making of the pyramids, probably.
Europe
That's Europe from space, and it pretty much looks like the map.
Danube Delta
It's the best-preserved delta in Europe, and it shows, even from space.
Chernobyl Cooling Pond
Easy to see from space.
Cape Cod Bay
Looks like a flexing arm, but it's a bit bigger than that.
Boston Logan International Airport
Astronauts can see your plane departing from Massachusetts Bay.
Bingham Canyon Mine
This is what the largest human-made excavation and deepest open-pit mine in the world looks like, seen from space.
Atlanta, Georgia
One of the most populated cities in the US looks like a spider's web from space.
Ankara, Turkey
Astronauts noticed the change from sodium lightbulbs to LED lights from space. Sodium lightning can be seen in this picture with its intense orange tones.
Almeria Greenhouses
That place in Spain produces most of the fruit that the country and other European nations consume. It's a 65-acre area also known as the “Plastic Sea.”
Palm Islands, Dubai
The three artificial archipelagos in Dubai can be seen from space.