Stranger Things: 9 Odd Things Sighted on Google Earth

Did the chicken come first or the egg? Is 42 the answer to everything in the universe? Can you actually see the Great Wall of China from space? We don't know about the others but we do know about that last one: the answer is no, you can’t. But hey, fret not, there are other mysterious and weird things that are visible from space to keep your curiosity hamster wheel running. So put on your astronaut helmet, buckle up and launch Google Earth to spend an hour (or four—I might have a problem) digging up fascinating places to explore. Who knows, maybe you’ll stumble upon something unique. 

Read | Take a Virtual Trip Through India Via Google Earth

Recursive Islands

It's a bit much to take in, but this island-in-a-lake-on-an-island-in-a-lake-on-an-island lies in a crater lake, which has an island inside it called the Volcano Island, which in turn is in a lake called Lake Taal, finally on the Philippine island of Luzon. Phew, that was a mouthful. 

The Bloody Lake

No one knows why this lake outside Iraq’s Sadr City has an eerie blood-red colour. Speculations have run wild and free with one macabre rumour which suggested that the country dumps blood from slaughterhouses into the canals. A less tame explanation is that the iron-rich colour derives from sewage, pollution or a kind of water-treatment process. 

What’s in a name?

Hamad bin Hamdan al Nahyan, a billionaire sheikh, used to have his name carved into the sandy shores of al Futaisi Island, which he owned. This was the world’s tallest and largest word visible from space until 2013, when the word visibly disappeared. Questions led to a dead end and it seemed like a very hush-hush job. 

Unexplained cave in Antarctica

Till this date, scientists have no clue what happened to the mysterious cave which seemed to appear out of the blue on a remote island in Antarctica. Online users found the entrance which they claim could be an entrance to a ‘hollow’ earth or the classic—a military cover up. Interestingly the ‘cave’ disappeared without a trace six months later after it was found in 2007.

Phytoplankton blooms

Don’t judge them by their size, for these microscopic species take up huge parts of the ocean, and when they come together, they turn into a mesmerising swirl of green, akin to a watercolour painting. These algae can grow at a rapid pace over a very short time span, although they aren't visible up close.

The many-faced god

This entirely natural (or so they say) formation bears strong resemblances to humanoid faces, formed by the erosion of clay due to rainwater. This geological wonder dubbed the Badlands Guardian, sometimes appears to be wearing earbuds (dirt roads and an oil well, in reality) and can only be visible from high above the ground. 

Jesus loves you in Idaho

These words are engraved on a smooth stretch of land at the Boise National Park in the USA. No one knows who or why someone wrote those words, to this date. 

Strange markings in a desert

Strange white markings have been discovered in the Gobi desert in China. Some suggest these are man-made markings painted on the ground to calibrate the country’s spy satellites. 

Economic divide between countries

Nocturnal luminosity Korean peninsula (March 2019 average, The Economist).
North Korea's nocturnal luminosity fell by 40% from 2013 to 2015. Difference between South Korea and North Korea is just astonishing.https://t.co/GtqGmm65j1 pic.twitter.com/NYl7ace46q

— Marcel Dirsus (@marceldirsus) May 3, 2019

North Korea is an enigma in itself and every move their government takes, seems to only add to the intrigue. When you view the earth at night, the economic divide between North and South Korea is clearly visible with the former sitting in utter darkness every night, to save up on rationed electricity. Quite a sight.

Read | 7 Incredible Google Street View Destinations and How to Get There