Google Earth’s updated, higher quality satellite images are stunning

The images you see on Google Earth have moved into sharper focus thanks to an update provided by a new satellite. NASA’s Landsat 8 satellite launched in 2013, but Google has just launched a fresh set of imagery taken from the satellite which enables not only sharper images, but also better, brighter and more realistic colours than previously possible.

The new technology means Google can better stitch together images of the Earth, whereas until now Google Maps and Earth used imagery from the Landsat 7. However, many of the images taken after 2003 were affected by a hardware failure that meant large diagonal gaps appeared in areas of the map. These are now gone and in their place are far more detailed images than we’ve ever seen, with the level of detail as you zoom in noticeably improved.

Not only that, Google has already rolled out the update across all its platforms, so you can see the results for yourself no matter the device you’re on. Google also explained how it had analysed millions of images to create the final, cloud-free results.

“Satellite images are often cloudy, but not always over the same place, so we looked at millions of images and took the clearest pixels to stitch together this cloud-free and seamless image,” the firm said in a blog post on the update.

(Press Association)