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March 31, 2006
Google Releases Very High Resolution Imagery for Las Vegas
Today Google released some very high resolution (3 inches/pixel) imagery for a part of Las Vegas. You can see an example here of the Luxor Hotel (a pyramid with mirrored windows). If you visit the Luxor Hotel 
in Google Earth, and lower yourself (or zoom) to see in detail, you can easily read advertisements on the side of the building, see cars reflected in the windows, and if you look around the area you can not only make out car types, but can even see people (and their shadows).
An airport is also captured in the high resolution section, and you can easily make out plane types and see the support equipment around the airport. You can see the Paris Hotel's Eiffel Tower replica in great detail as well. An awesome area to explore. Here's the announcement from Google. According to the post, the Las Vegas imagery was taken very recently (March, 2006). In addition, they put back some islands around Thailand which were accidentally removed in the 23-March update. Google didn't give any reason for why they released this new high res imagery for Las Vegas. Maybe they are taking a gamble?
Read about the bigger data update made 23-March-2006.
Check out the new real-time Global Cloud Map overlayed onto Google Earth making it look like the real Earth from space.
Also, you may find the story about the world's largest Apple iPod ad interesting.
Posted by FrankTaylor at March 31, 2006 07:56 PM
Comments
Posted by: Ed at April 1, 2006 04:21 AM
Nice, hairspray. You can almost see the number plates on the cars :)
Posted by: SashDaMan at April 1, 2006 09:12 AM
I think I might have found out why this update has come online.
Open your temporary places and double-click.
Posted by: Tim Bragg at April 1, 2006 09:14 AM
I can see the high resolution around Las Vegas. I cannot see the top of the Luxor hotel as in the above picture. I restarted my computer and restarted gearth, but still cannot see anything. Anyone else having this problem?
Posted by: B. Miller at April 1, 2006 10:09 AM
Not too recent, as I was there in February and the Wynn was open. In the above linked shot, it's not even built yet.
Posted by: Robert Schumacher at April 1, 2006 06:06 PM
Robert, your tinyurl link is showing imagery in Google Maps. The new high resolution imagery mentioned in the article is ONLY in Google Earth.
Posted by: Frank Taylor at April 1, 2006 08:39 PM
I guess what happens in Vegas no longer stays in Vegas :)
Posted by: x at April 2, 2006 12:08 AM
Any thoughts on why the stratosphere was removed? I was hoping to make out the frightened faces on the roller coaster.
Posted by: smatac at April 2, 2006 01:23 PM
Maybe next time they can send the sat. over while there are actually people hanging out by the pool! ;)
Posted by: JohnK at April 2, 2006 07:41 PM
there is a roller coaster circling the "new york" place ..... you just can't see faces... resolution isn't that good
Posted by: dumass at April 2, 2006 08:39 PM
are these sat pics or photos from plane?
Posted by: nono at April 2, 2006 10:18 PM
The reason is because of the AP story from 2 days ago talking about how great the imagery used by windows live local is.
I'm sure it is, anyway.
Posted by: Chris at April 2, 2006 10:33 PM
Very cool stuff.
Posted by: Scott at April 2, 2006 10:39 PM
Hey, The reason may be because they want some "before" shots before the gov't sets off the mushroom cloud over LV. if you don't know what i'm talking about, it's a just a test explosion, that i read on digg, i forget the link though, sorry.
Posted by: CaptJ at April 2, 2006 11:19 PM
So, the stratosphere is missing...BUT you can see its shadow on the ground north of where it should be. That is very bizzare!
Posted by: JohnnyNVA at April 3, 2006 01:41 AM
"Hey, The reason may be because they want some "before" shots before the gov't sets off the mushroom cloud over LV. if you don't know what i'm talking about, it's a just a test explosion, that i read on digg, i forget the link though, sorry."
I read that article too... wonder if Google thinks the government is going to fudge their text explosion up and take out parts of vegas??? Would be useful for insurance purposes if that did happen and then google could get back at the government for invading their servers!!
Posted by: mike at April 3, 2006 06:16 AM
nice!!!
Posted by: hi at April 3, 2006 12:44 PM
The missing Stratosphere was probably taken by the same aliens who stole the planes leaving the Dallas Airport and left their shadows behind on Grapevine Lake.
Posted by: charlie at April 3, 2006 11:43 PM
Very neat, but the hotels at the corner of Paradise Rd. and Riviera Blvd. look really tweaked. :-)
Posted by: brian at April 6, 2006 04:12 PM
Strange that the Paris Balloon is missing as well, some wierd dinosaur looking thing in its place!
Posted by: Kris R. at November 15, 2006 09:12 PM
This photo is taken from a plane. There are no space-borne imaging systems that can resolve to this level.
Posted by: Joshua at January 24, 2008 06:30 PM
I have gained helpful information from this website. I am interested in high resolution imagery that our company can use to do roof estimating from the internet. The imagery that I have seen so far will not work because they don't show close enought imagery. Any suggestions or information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks to all
Bret Lyon
President - Lyon Roofing & Supply
485 Industrial Park Road
Piney Flats, TN 37686
423-538-5169
fax 423-538-5169
cell 423-0340-1937
cell 423-383-3197
www.wesellmetalroofing.com
blyon@lyonroofing.com
Posted by: Bret Lyon at July 19, 2008 06:38 PM
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Great Res. I see the Stratosphere Tower is now missing. You can still see it in Google Maps though.
115.15550,36.14699