With Google Earth you can virtually travel the whole globe. The moon and Mars can now also be reached with a click of the mouse. But how does it all actually work? What features does Google Earth offer? Which devices can I use it on? Where do the images come from and how often are they updated? We provide answers to these questions and shows interested parties how they can use Google Earth for entertainment or in everyday life.
- With Google Earth, interested parties can virtually travel the earth and view detailed satellite images in 2D or 3D.
- The universe, the moon and Mars can also be reached.
- Google Earth offers numerous functions, for example street view, guided tours, historical maps or the current weather.
- Google Earth is available free of charge as a web version, desktop app and mobile app.
What features does Google Earth offer?
Short for GE by abbreviationfinder, Google Earth offers a number of functions that can be used to view and explore the world. Streetview makes it possible to put yourself virtually in the middle of the city of your dreams. Whether to prepare for a trip or just for entertainment – Google Earth has a lot to offer lovers of distant countries. The following functions are available to users of the application:
- Explore in 2D and 3D: The globe that you come across when you open Google Earth can be zoomed in at will. In addition to the two-dimensional top view, some landscapes can also be viewed in 3D from a bird’s eye view inclined at 45 degrees.
- Streetview: Google Earth also has the streetview function known from Google Maps, with which users can view all-round views of selected streets.
- Search:Indirect search terms (for example “Capital of France”) can also be entered and found on Google Earth.
- With good luck:With this function, the user can randomly beam himself to one of 20,000 locations.
- Guided tours:Google Earth also acts as a travel guide and provides those interested with a lot of information about the desired locations.
- Flight simulator:Google Earth offers the possibility to travel around the earth using a flight simulator.
- Sky, Moon and Mars:Space can be viewed with Google Sky; Google Moon and Google Mars offer users the opportunity to visit the Moon and Mars.
- Weather and time of day:On Google Earth, users can view the earth including the current weather. The day-night boundary can also be seen live.
- Time travel: Historical maps make it possible to go on a journey through time and see places as they once were.
- Google Ocean: If you want to dive into the depths of the world’s oceans, you can activate the Google Ocean
- Create and share maps: Users can save their favorite places, create their own maps and share them with friends.
How do I use Google Earth?
After opening Google Earth, the user first sees a full view of the globe in space. Depending on the device, this can be zoomed in and rotated with the mouse, keyboard or finger on the touchscreen. There are some navigation buttons in the lower right corner. With a click on the plus or minus, users can zoom in as well as with the scroll function of their mouse.
Clicking on the compass ensures that the view aligns to the north again. With the 3D / 2D button, users switch between the 3D and 2D views. You can drag the little man to one of the blue marked streets and activate Streetview. The last button allows you to fly to your own location. A click on the earth symbol leads back to the starting view. On the left side of the application there is a menu with the various Google Earth functions.
How often does Google Earth update the images?
Google Earth’s Earth is made up of many individual satellite images. They are not always up-to-date and may have been recorded at various times. Many of the pictures are a few years old. Google regularly updates some of the satellite images, but never all of them at the same time. So it happens that some pictures are from 2009, others from 2018. When zooming in on the earth, the year of the picture is shown in the lower right corner of the pictures.
On which platforms can I use Google Earth?
Google Earth can be accessed as a web version with the Chrome browser. The desktop versions Google Earth and Google Earth Pro are available for free download. There is also Google Earth as an app for smartphones or tablets – available in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
