NinjaDentist

What Earth Objects are Visible from Space?

It’s a myth that has persisted for years: the Great Wall of China is the only man-made object that you can see from the Moon without assistance.

Even if you haven’t heard this myth, I’m sure you’ve often wondered what the Earth looks like from a distance.

In fact, seeing the Great Wall from the Moon’s surface would be the same as seeing a human hair from 2 miles away (3.2 km). Unless you have a high-powered telescope, or eyesight that is out of this world, you’re not going to be able to see such a tiny object. Given the average distance of the Moon, some 238,000 miles from the Earth (383,000 km), a feature on our planet would have to be roughly 70 miles across (113 km) for the unaided human eye to be able to discern it from the surrounding landscape. At its widest, The Great Wall is a mere 30 feet (9.1m). So it’s not even close.

When asked what features are visible from the Moon, Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean stated, “The only thing you can see from the Moon is a beautiful sphere, mostly white, some blue and patches of yellow, and every once in a while some green vegetation. No man-made object is visible at this scale”.

But what can you see from a low Earth orbit? Unfortunately, the Great Wall of China cannot be seen, even from this distance (but its pollution can). Some scientists have argued that, if the conditions were *absolutely* perfect, then it would be theoretically possible. However, most scientists have rejected this notion, as it would require a visual acuity more than 5 times that of the average human eye. True, a few astronauts have said that they thought they could see the Great Wall, but most state that they couldn’t see it at all (not even a little bit).

However, there are other man-made objects that can be readily seen from low Earth orbit: the pyramids at Giza, airports, large bridges, cities, the Toyota center… and the lists goes on and on.

cadet-r-kelly: someone waited their entire life to publish...

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 17:49:35 -0500

cadet-r-kelly:

someone waited their entire life to publish that

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epic-humor: see more

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 17:15:38 -0500

epic-humor:

see more

odditiesoflife: Devil’s Bridge Kromlauer Park is a gothic...

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 17:13:27 -0500

odditiesoflife:

Devil’s Bridge

Kromlauer Park is a gothic style, 200-acre country park in the municipality of Kromlau in the Görlitz Gablenzgasse district in Germany. An incredible attraction of the park is the Rakotzbrücke, more popularly known as Devil’s Bridge.

The impressive arch bridge was built around 1860. During its construction, other peculiar rock formations were built on the lake and in the park. Devil’s Bridge is no longer open to the public to ensure its preservation. A unique feature of the bridge is that its reflection on the water’s surface creates a flawless circle, regardless of which side is being viewed.

getsuswet: xBloodLust

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 17:09:05 -0500

getsuswet:

xBloodLust

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Sun, 09 Jun 2013 16:23:16 -0500

madwhovianwithabox: twisteddoggeh: sometimes-reality-sucks-ass:...

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 15:54:00 -0500

madwhovianwithabox:

twisteddoggeh:

sometimes-reality-sucks-ass:

christmas-with-clara:

onlypaintonthewall:

WHY IS OBAMA SUCH A CHILL PRESIDENT?

i just want to be friends with obama

best friends with obama.

Brobamas

BROBAMAS FOR THE WIN.