Google Earth Images Updated

[+It's Spitting!]

Just read this on the Google Earth forum from the Sysops:

 

On October 3rd, we updated Google Maps and Google Earth with the following new imagery:

 

- Cross Plains, Texas

- the whole state of Minnesota, South Carolina, North Dakota, Missouri (updated to 2005), Idaho, Maryland, and now full coverage for the entire state of Texas

- Updates to Florida (most of the state covered now)

- 15 high-resolution cities in Germany

- update for London, 2006 data at 10cm

- South Georgia Island (courtesy of the British Antarctic Survey)

- Albany, OR; Lubbock, TX; Port Townsend, WA; Portage County, OH; Trumball County, OH

- 32 Digital Globe high-resolution cities (updates and new coverage)

 

In addition there was a significant update to the regular Digital Globe imagery all over the world.

[Edgemaster]

Just read this on the Google Earth forum from the Sysops:

 

On October 3rd, we updated Google Maps and Google Earth with the following new imagery:

 

- Cross Plains, Texas

- the whole state of Minnesota, South Carolina, North Dakota, Missouri (updated to 2005), Idaho, Maryland, and now full coverage for the entire state of Texas

- Updates to Florida (most of the state covered now)

- 15 high-resolution cities in Germany

- update for London, 2006 data at 10cm

- South Georgia Island (courtesy of the British Antarctic Survey)

- Albany, OR; Lubbock, TX; Port Townsend, WA; Portage County, OH; Trumball County, OH

- 32 Digital Globe high-resolution cities (updates and new coverage)

 

In addition there was a significant update to the regular Digital Globe imagery all over the world.

 

I thought I noticed our car disappear from the images of our house... Also the shadows of trees are really elongated, it all looks rather weird.

[Nediam]

I spotted a day or so ago that the area around me has been updated with newer pics. The original ones showed the start of our extension, the new ones show it completed

 

I live about 15 miles north of Brum so it looks like it's not just London that's been updated.

 

Only downside is that the resolution isn't quite as high as it was

Edited October 8, 2006 by Nediam

[+Learned Gerbil]

From the direction of the shadows the pictures in South London were taken at 1pm. It was clearly a weekday be the lack of parked cars outside houses, and the length of the shadows suggests the sun was low so if they are 2006 images (which the up-to-date nature suggests) it looks very like a very sunny day in January. The pictures of central London seem to be taken an hour or so earleir in the day from the direction of the shaddows, but there is no big tree in Trafalgar Square, but very long noon shadows so probably some time in mid January.

[+harrogate hunters]

Leave london please ... you already have clear images....

 

How about Harrogate ! Have you looked at that !

[+Master Mariner]

From the direction of the shadows the pictures in South London were taken at 1pm. It was clearly a weekday be the lack of parked cars outside houses, and the length of the shadows suggests the sun was low so if they are 2006 images (which the up-to-date nature suggests) it looks very like a very sunny day in January. The pictures of central London seem to be taken an hour or so earleir in the day from the direction of the shaddows, but there is no big tree in Trafalgar Square, but very long noon shadows so probably some time in mid January.

 

In Greenwich, the new images were taken slightly before midday and in the depths of winter as indicated by the long shadows. Looking at my place of work, I would say the pictures were taken on a Saturday or Sunday due to the empty car parks - could have been a bank holiday - but definitely in the winter of 2005/2006. The image of the Millennium Dome is brilliant when viewed at about 300m. The absence of planes at City Airport would point to it being a Sunday as there are no flights form about 1300hrs Saturday to the same time on a Sunday. Interestingly, all the footie pitches at Hackney Marsh are marked out but no one in site - possibly not a Sunday but there is a helicopter flying over the pitches!

[+It's Spitting!]

From the direction of the shadows the pictures in South London were taken at 1pm. It was clearly a weekday be the lack of parked cars outside houses, and the length of the shadows suggests the sun was low so if they are 2006 images (which the up-to-date nature suggests) it looks very like a very sunny day in January. The pictures of central London seem to be taken an hour or so earleir in the day from the direction of the shaddows, but there is no big tree in Trafalgar Square, but very long noon shadows so probably some time in mid January.

 

In Greenwich, the new images were taken slightly before midday and in the depths of winter as indicated by the long shadows. Looking at my place of work, I would say the pictures were taken on a Saturday or Sunday due to the empty car parks - could have been a bank holiday - but definitely in the winter of 2005/2006. The image of the Millennium Dome is brilliant when viewed at about 300m. The absence of planes at City Airport would point to it being a Sunday as there are no flights form about 1300hrs Saturday to the same time on a Sunday. Interestingly, all the footie pitches at Hackney Marsh are marked out but no one in site - possibly not a Sunday but there is a helicopter flying over the pitches!

 

The detail in Cental London is outstanding - you can clearly read traffic markings in the roads etc. Funnily enough I was looking at Harrogate the other day on Google Earth for a caching trip there in a couple of weeks and I was suprised how poor the resolution is - It is hard to make out individual fields, never mind road markings...

 

I did find a link to their other high-res areas :

World Wide Hi-Res Areas

 

I also spotted a list of when UK areas were last refreshed prior this update - It was dated 3rd Dec so there may have been an intermediate one:

 

A large collection of 6" data for the UK

----------------------------------------

- England (London 2001, Bedfordshire 2002, Berkeshire-2003,

Birmingham-2001, Bournemouth-2000, Bournemouth-2003, Bristol-2003,

Broadlands-2003, Cambridge-City-2002, Cambridgeshire-2003, Corby-2003,

Coventry-2001, Dudley-2001, Exmoor-2003, Farnborough-2004,

Gloucester-2002, Gosport-2001, Isle-of-Wight-2004,

Kingston-upon-Hull-2003, Lancashire-2000, Luton-BC-and-Airport-2003,

Manchester-2000, Mansfield-2003, Medway-2003, Merseyside-2000,

Milton-Keynes-2000, North-Lincs-2002, Peterborough-Hampton-2002,

Poole-2000, Portsmouth-2004, Reigate_and_Banstead-2003,

Runnymede-and-Spelthorne-2002, Sandwell-2001, Sevenoaks-2001,

Solihull-2001, South-Cambridgeshire-2003, South-Oxfordshire-2003,

South-Yorkshire-2002, South_Ayrshire-1999, Southampton-2004,

Southend-2003, Stansted-2004, Suffolk-Coast-2000, Surrey-1999,

Swansea-2003, Tyne-Wear-Gateshead-2001, Tyne-Wear-Newcastle-2001,

Tyne-Wear-North-Tyneside-2001, Tyne-Wear-South-Tyneside-2001,

Tyne-Wear-Sunderland-2001, West-Yorkshire-2002, Wolverhampton-2001,

Wycombe-2003, Wyre-Forest-2004)

 

- Scotland (Aberdeen 2001, Craigmore 2003, Dundee 2001, Glasgow 2002,

Renfrewshire 2002)

 

- Northern Ireland (Northern Belfast 2001, Northern Carrickfergus

2001, North Downs 2001)

 

- Wales (Blaenau Gwent 2001, Bridgend 2003, Caerphilly 2001, Cardiff

2001, Merthyr Tydfil-2001, Newport 2001, Rhondda Cynon Taff 2001,

Torfaen 2001, Vale of Glamorgan 2001)

[+Norwegian Blue]

From the direction of the shadows the pictures in South London were taken at 1pm. It was clearly a weekday be the lack of parked cars outside houses, and the length of the shadows suggests the sun was low so if they are 2006 images (which the up-to-date nature suggests) it looks very like a very sunny day in January. The pictures of central London seem to be taken an hour or so earleir in the day from the direction of the shaddows, but there is no big tree in Trafalgar Square, but very long noon shadows so probably some time in mid January.

 

In Greenwich, the new images were taken slightly before midday and in the depths of winter as indicated by the long shadows. Looking at my place of work, I would say the pictures were taken on a Saturday or Sunday due to the empty car parks - could have been a bank holiday - but definitely in the winter of 2005/2006. The image of the Millennium Dome is brilliant when viewed at about 300m. The absence of planes at City Airport would point to it being a Sunday as there are no flights form about 1300hrs Saturday to the same time on a Sunday. Interestingly, all the footie pitches at Hackney Marsh are marked out but no one in site - possibly not a Sunday but there is a helicopter flying over the pitches!

 

The detail in Cental London is outstanding - you can clearly read traffic markings in the roads etc. Funnily enough I was looking at Harrogate the other day on Google Earth for a caching trip there in a couple of weeks and I was suprised how poor the resolution is - It is hard to make out individual fields, never mind road markings...

 

I did find a link to their other high-res areas :

World Wide Hi-Res Areas

 

I also spotted a list of when UK areas were last refreshed prior this update - It was dated 3rd Dec so there may have been an intermediate one:

 

A large collection of 6" data for the UK

----------------------------------------

- England (London 2001, Bedfordshire 2002, Berkeshire-2003,

Birmingham-2001, Bournemouth-2000, Bournemouth-2003, Bristol-2003,

Broadlands-2003, Cambridge-City-2002, Cambridgeshire-2003, Corby-2003,

Coventry-2001, Dudley-2001, Exmoor-2003, Farnborough-2004,

Gloucester-2002, Gosport-2001, Isle-of-Wight-2004,

Kingston-upon-Hull-2003, Lancashire-2000, Luton-BC-and-Airport-2003,

Manchester-2000, Mansfield-2003, Medway-2003, Merseyside-2000,

Milton-Keynes-2000, North-Lincs-2002, Peterborough-Hampton-2002,

Poole-2000, Portsmouth-2004, Reigate_and_Banstead-2003,

Runnymede-and-Spelthorne-2002, Sandwell-2001, Sevenoaks-2001,

Solihull-2001, South-Cambridgeshire-2003, South-Oxfordshire-2003,

South-Yorkshire-2002, South_Ayrshire-1999, Southampton-2004,

Southend-2003, Stansted-2004, Suffolk-Coast-2000, Surrey-1999,

Swansea-2003, Tyne-Wear-Gateshead-2001, Tyne-Wear-Newcastle-2001,

Tyne-Wear-North-Tyneside-2001, Tyne-Wear-South-Tyneside-2001,

Tyne-Wear-Sunderland-2001, West-Yorkshire-2002, Wolverhampton-2001,

Wycombe-2003, Wyre-Forest-2004)

 

- Scotland (Aberdeen 2001, Craigmore 2003, Dundee 2001, Glasgow 2002,

Renfrewshire 2002)

 

- Northern Ireland (Northern Belfast 2001, Northern Carrickfergus

2001, North Downs 2001)

 

- Wales (Blaenau Gwent 2001, Bridgend 2003, Caerphilly 2001, Cardiff

2001, Merthyr Tydfil-2001, Newport 2001, Rhondda Cynon Taff 2001,

Torfaen 2001, Vale of Glamorgan 2001)

I hope they don't update Aberdeen Harbour. That's my ship sat there on Clipper Quay.

Edited October 9, 2006 by Norwegian Blue

[Edgemaster]

Yet another UK High Def imagery update:

 

This time in: Northamptonshire, Nottingshire, Berkeshire, Peakdistrict, Birmingham, Greater Manchester, Avon, Gloucestershire, Linconshire

[+SidAndBob]

Wow. The images in Google Earth were just blurs before the update out here in the sticks in west Gloucestershire. Now they're as good as Local Live at last.

I do agree that the long shadows do detract badly from the image though.

[+L8HNB]

Still pants in our bit of Worcestershire - bit like the after effects of a night on the cider !

[+Alibags]

Still pants round near me in SW Hertfordshire - bit like the after effects of a night on the gin and tonic !

Edited March 30, 2007 by Alibags

[+The Forester]

Still pants in the hinterland of lowland Scotland too. Forester Towers is just a LandSat7 blur on Google Earth and Local Live imagery is about 7 years out of date.

 

Fortunately it's quite easy to insert one's own high resolution imagery overlaid onto Google Earth and georeference it to metric accuracy or better.

[+housefamily]

Still pants round near me in Aylesbury, Bucks - bit like the after effects of a night drinking blackcurrant lemsip!