Google Satellite Maps - Easter Eggs Gallery!

By now everyone on the planet knows about Google's Satellite Maps feature, which is extremely cool. I would love to see a blog devoted to shared satellite images of particular interest, i.e., those that:

• show some particularly beautiful visual feature
  
• capture some surprising thing (ship, house, animal, etc.)
  
• capture an unexpected event
  

A few examples:

The Kennedy Space Center's Space Shuttle complex (where I used to work!) - You can see the long landing strip to the left (you only get one chance to land, so you want lots of room), the assebly area in the center (looks a bit like Africa), and the two launch pads on the right by the beach. Cool!

Hawaii's Big Island - Note the vocanic look.

Some ships steaming under the Golden Gate Bridge.

I would love to see a site dedicated to this. Cool features would include a gallery thumbnail images, tagging (ala del.icio.us or flickr, and ratings that allow voting for the best ones (favorites, etc.)

Any idea if (or where) this has been done?

Comments

[Edward Vielmetti]

there's a series on flickr going - let me find the tag - http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/memorymap
take a look there, see if it matches what you're looking for

[Matthew Cornell]

Here's one of the [ six flags | http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Route+159,1623+Main+St,++Agawam,+ma&ll=42.038519,-72.614093&spn=0.006534,0.007918&t=k&hl=en ] amusement park in new england.

[Matthew Cornell]

A few more cool ones: Fighter jets at [ Edwards Airforce base | http://maps.google.com/maps?q=the+white+house,washington,+dc&ll=38.807842,-76.859343&spn=0.006534,0.007918&t=k&hl=en ], the [ Washington Monument | http://maps.google.com/maps?q=the+white+house,washington,+dc&ll=38.888769,-77.034888&spn=0.006534,0.007918&t=k&hl=en ], and skyscrapers in downtown [ Houston | http://maps.google.com/maps?q=houston,tx&ll=29.755268,-95.366650&spn=0.026135,0.031672&t=k&hl=en ].

[Danila]

No need to invent the bicycle. The [ Keyhole BBS | http://bbs.keyhole.com ] has sections with geo-links to cool locations. It even allows you to upload sets of markers, paths and overlays that can be easily opened by others. You can add whole custom layers to Google Earth.

It's also possible to integrate Flickr and del.icio.us with Google Earth so that you see little thumbnails of photos taken at particular locations and see links to location-specific websites! It surely must appeal to your [ convergence-liking | http://www.matthewcornell.org/blog/2005/04/photo-blogs-wikis-and-memories-for.html ] soul. :)

Sorry if you already know all that, the post is dated April, you might have already discovered the possibilities of Google Earth yourself.

[starryguy]

I think it is curious that the original image of San Clemente Island off California had a clear view of all the military installation. Now the north half is all clouds. I think someone at CIA or HSA had the detailed one removed. There is supposed to be a full replica of a US embassy building and compound there for anti-terrorist training. Who knows, they could be running a super-secret detention facility now that Guantanamo Bay is like a circus. Anything could be happening there since only the military has been allowed near the place for half a century. Could use the full length landing strip for the Aurora spy plane.
Anyone see Area 51 (Dreamland) NW of Vegas on the screen lately? I can't find it since last October.

[Matthew Cornell]

Thanks for your ideas, starryguy. Interesting!

[Sandeep Dhar]

I bumped into this page while performing a Google search for easter eggs. Technically this page has what would truly be Google easter eggs.

http://www.harrymaugans.com/2007/04/12/google-maps-easter-egg/

Hope you enjoy the fun.

[Matthew Cornell]

Thanks, Sandeep - fun!

[xFuryx]

Found a weird smiley.
And a heart... "Hi" too.
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/7845/mesquitetxgooglemaps125.png

[matthewcornell]

Ha! Reminds me of crop circles and corn mazes. Thanks for sharing.

[brian]

this is one more site for easter eggs hunt http://www.eastereggshunt.com/

[LOL MAN]

if you search up directions from japan to china, look at direction 43 ROFLZZZZ

[Matthew Cornell]

Hmm. I wasn't able to follow your directions, but thanks for the comment anyways.