5 of the Most Interesting Things Seen On Google Earth

As millions of users have learnt, Google Earth is an amazing program and resource. This virtual globe gives us the ability to discover and search the world from above, making for an experience that is both educational and entertaining. With the street view and maps also available, users are now not only able to explore the world from above but from the ground too.

And it just got better! The system recently underwent a serious facelift, with more than 700 trillion pixels being added to the picture, making the Google Earth experience more realistic and accurate. The latest version can even be used to check out the surface of Mars, if you are so inclined.

With so much of the world to explore and so many worldwide users – Google Earth has been downloaded more than a billion times – it’s no wonder that some unusual things have been spotted and discovered. Let’s take a look at a few of the more impressive ones that you might consider finding for yourself.

1. Wheel-Shaped Structures

If you’re familiar with the amazing Nazca Lines, you might be surprised to hear that the Middle East has its own version that some consider to be even older than those found in Peru.

These wheel-like structures can only be seen from above, and archaeologists and historians have actually used Google Earth to study them and unravel this age old mystery.

Spanning a distance from Saudi Arabia to Syria, these strange structures could date back as far as 8,000 years and a number of the patterns appear to align with the rise of the sun.

2. HAMAD Spelt In The Sand

Most of use have written our names in the sand at the beach at one time or another, but no one has taken it as far the Emirati billionaire Hamad bin Hamdan al Nahyan.

He arranged to have his name carved out on the shores al Futaisi, which he owns. The letters span across a 3km stretch and they make for quite a sight on Google Earth.

3. Badlands Guardian

There have been quite a number of apparent faces discovered in the Earth’s terrain – including what is claimed to be an image of Jesus in a large field – but perhaps the most amazing is one found in the mountains of Alberta.

From above, the terrain resembles the profile of what could be a Native American, which is quite remarkable given the location. The character depicted here has come to be known as the ‘Badlands Guardian’.

4. Guitar-Shaped Forest

Located in Argentina’s North East, you might find it hard to believe that this guitar shaped forest could be a natural formation – and you’d be right. In fact, a local farmer planted it as a tribute to his late wife – it’s quite a story which we’d recommend reading about.

It is made up of some 7,000 Cyprus trees and is over a kilometre in length, making it the perfect size to view via satellite.

5. Futuristic Structures In Egypt

There are more than a few cases of people discovering unusual sights on Google Earth and coming up with fantastical explanations.

This is true of a recent discovery made just this year of admittedly strange structures/buildings in Cairo, which have been suggested to be the remnants of extraterrestrial life, a secret military base and various other things including a wheat farm. The actual explanation remains unknown and is highly contested.

These are just a handful of the sights that are worth discovering next time you use Google Earth. If you’ve stumbled across any others worth mentioning, we invite you to let us know.