How weird is this?

des · Post by **des** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 6:39 pm

This is really strange from Google maps. I like to think parallel universes here, but I am sure it is something much more prosaic (for instance, two satellites are needed to resolve a 3d image, but this is the only idea I could come up with.)

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&z=18&ll ... 1&t=k&om=1

--des

ApolloXI · Post by **ApolloXI** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:06 pm

Who know maybe it is the Titanic's ghost?
I i agree maybe two satellite are having a problem or Google is having a little fun.

des · Post by **des** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:39 pm

The later is not out of the realm of possibility. Google is known for its jokes, so much so that when the introduced gmail they introduced it as an April Fools joke. At the time, few people believed that gmail would be real because Google had a April Fools joke each year that was a joke. (I notice this year the April Fools joke was for real as well.)

--des

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 8:57 am

This happens a lot on Google Maps. It is merely a ghosted image when two different satellite photos (taken at two differnet times) overlap with differences. You can see the dock in ghostly form beside the ghost ship as well, it is just offset a little from the more pure one.

I had something similar appear whilst finding directions to the cruise ship pier for our holidays.

ApolloXI · Post by **ApolloXI** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:11 am

If you look around a little bit more you see that various other parts of the ground is miss aligned.

Benji · Post by **Benji** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 4:32 pm

Here's another cool anomaly: Starburst

Also, let it be said that Google has some sense of humor:
Directions to UK
Try zooming in close to Tranquility Base

And check out this super-zoom hack.

Fatal291 · Post by **Fatal291** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:15 pm

http://moon.google.com/

zoom ALL THE WAY in..

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Tue May 01, 2007 8:49 am

Incredible! My house still does not exist on Google Maps but I wonder if they have super zoom anywhere around here. Hmmm...

And I loved the Moon one. I have seen the Moon map before but never at such high resolution. Now we know for sure!

des · Post by **des** » Tue May 01, 2007 7:34 pm

They are pointing to the wrong house apparently. I have the only red roof on the street to my knowledge and it pointed to the house behind me (or in front), or maybe I'm just not sure how to read this thing.

--des

gt0163c · Post by **gt0163c** » Wed May 02, 2007 6:31 am

des wrote:They are pointing to the wrong house apparently. I have the only red roof on the street to my knowledge and it pointed to the house behind me (or in front), or maybe I'm just not sure how to read this thing.

Most likely it's Google. They're usually pretty close, but not always exactly on target with the addresses. For my sister's old house (in a suburb of Atlanta), Google maps said it was about three houses down from where it actually is. The house I grew up in (suburb of Detroit), they get right on. I think part of it is the age of the house/neighborhood.

My house (Fort Worth, Texas) isn't even built in the satelite pictures. Just shows up as a dirt lot. Which means the picture is from around around 2000/2001ish. I'm hoping the redo the satelite coverage of my area soon.

ApolloXI · Post by **ApolloXI** » Wed May 02, 2007 1:54 pm

gt0163c wrote:
des wrote:They are pointing to the wrong house apparently. I have the only red roof on the street to my knowledge and it pointed to the house behind me (or in front), or maybe I'm just not sure how to read this thing.
Most likely it's Google. They're usually pretty close, but not always exactly on target with the addresses. For my sister's old house (in a suburb of Atlanta), Google maps said it was about three houses down from where it actually is. The house I grew up in (suburb of Detroit), they get right on. I think part of it is the age of the house/neighborhood.

My house (Fort Worth, Texas) isn't even built in the satelite pictures. Just shows up as a dirt lot. Which means the picture is from around around 2000/2001ish. I'm hoping the redo the satelite coverage of my area soon.

I am not quite sure but some of that might also have to do with the military. I remember a couple years ago that NPR said that military was not allowing for civilian GPS units to get spot on because for some reason but they were going to slowly allow them to get right on spot.

Benji · Post by **Benji** » Sun May 06, 2007 8:29 pm

Chris,

There used to be this thing called 'Selective Availability', but it was turned off in 2000. I'll let Wikipedia explain it.

des · Post by **des** » Sun May 06, 2007 10:05 pm

Yes, I have heard of this somewhere (now racking the back of my brain). But if this is so, then they are awfully close. I fear they will bomb my house anyway as colaterial damage. :-}

--des

Benji wrote:Chris,

There used to be this thing called 'Selective Availability', but it was turned off in 2000. I'll let Wikipedia explain it.