The latest online map. Google maps online. Using QuikSCAT satellite imagery

Many users are interested in online satellite maps, which give them the opportunity to enjoy a bird's-eye view of their favorite places on our planet. There are quite a number of such services on the Internet, but all their diversity should not be misleading - most of these sites use the classic API from Google Maps. However, there are also a number of resources that use their own tools to create high-quality satellite maps. In this material I will talk about the best high-resolution satellite maps available online in 2017-2018, and also explain how to use them.

What you need to know about online satellite maps?

When creating satellite maps of the earth's surface, both images from space satellites and photos from special aircraft are usually used, allowing photography to be carried out at a bird's eye view (250-500 meters).

Satellite maps of the highest resolution quality created in this way are regularly updated, and usually the images from them are no more than 2-3 years old.

Most online services do not have the ability to create their own satellite maps. They usually use maps from other, more powerful services (usually Google Maps). At the same time, at the bottom (or top) of the screen you can find a mention of the copyright of a company for displaying these maps.

Viewing real-time satellite maps is currently not available to the average user, since such tools are used primarily for military purposes. Users have access to maps, photographs for which were taken over the past months (or even years). It is worth understanding that any military objects may be deliberately retouched in order to hide them from interested parties.

Let's move on to a description of the services that allow us to enjoy the capabilities of satellite maps.

Google Maps - view from space in high resolution

Bing Maps – online satellite map service

Among online mapping services of decent quality, one cannot ignore the Bing Maps service, which is the brainchild of Microsoft. Like other resources I have described, this site provides fairly high-quality photos of the surface created using satellite and aerial photography.

Bing Maps is one of the most popular mapping services in the United States.

The functionality of the service is similar to the analogues already described above:

At the same time, using the search button you can determine the online location of a specific satellite, and by clicking on any satellite on the map you will receive brief information about it (country, size, launch date, etc.).

Conclusion

To display high-resolution satellite maps online, you should use one of the network solutions I listed. The Google Maps service is the most popular worldwide, so I recommend using this resource to work with satellite maps online. If you are interested in viewing geolocations on the territory of the Russian Federation, then it is better to use the Yandex.Maps toolkit. The frequency of their updates on our country’s relations exceeds the similar frequency from Google Maps.

Russia is located in the northern part of the Eurasian continent. The country is washed by the Arctic and Pacific oceans, the Caspian, Black, Baltic and Azov seas. Russia has common borders with 18 countries. The area of ​​the territory is 17,098,246 sq. km.

Plains and lowlands make up more than 70% of the country's total area. The western regions are located on the East European Plain, where lowlands (Caspian, etc.) and highlands (Central Russian, Valdai, etc.) alternate. The Ural mountain system separates the East European Plain from the West Siberian Lowland.

Map of Russia from satellite online

Map of Russia from satellite. Cities of Russia from satellite
(This map allows you to study roads and individual cities in various viewing modes. For detailed study, the map can be dragged in different directions and enlarged)

Russia is rich in huge reserves of fresh water. The largest rivers include: Lena, Angara, Yenisei, Amur, Volga, Ob, Pechora and others with their numerous tributaries. Baikal is the greatest freshwater lake.
The flora of Russia consists of 24,700 plant species. The largest number of plants is in the Caucasus (6000) and the Far East (up to 2000). Forests account for 40% of the territory.
The fauna is diverse. It is represented by polar bears, tigers, leopards, wolves and a huge variety of other animal representatives.
Oil reserves have been explored almost throughout the country. The Siberian platform is rich in coal, potash and rock salts, gas and oil. The Kursk magnetic anomaly includes the largest iron ore deposits, and on the Kola Peninsula - deposits of copper-nickel ores. In the Altai Mountains there is a lot of iron ore, asbestos, talc, phosphorites, tungsten, and molybdenum. The Chukotka region is rich in deposits of gold, tin, mercury, and tungsten.
Due to its geographical location, Russia belongs to different climatic zones: arctic, subarctic, temperate and partially subtropical. The average January temperature (in different regions) ranges from plus 6 to minus 50°C, July – plus 1-25°C. The annual precipitation is 150-2000 mm. 65% of the country's territory is permafrost (Siberia, Far East).
The extreme south of the European part includes the Greater Caucasus Mountains. The south of Siberia is occupied by Altai and the Sayans. The northeastern part of the Far East and Siberia is rich in medium-altitude mountain ranges. There are volcanic territories on the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands.
The population of Russia by 2013 was 143 million people. Representatives of over 200 nationalities live in the country. Of these, Russians make up approximately 80%. The rest are Tatars, Chuvash, Bashkirs, Ukrainians, Chechens, Mordovians, Belarusians, Yakuts and many others.
Russian peoples speak 100 or more languages ​​belonging to the Indo-European, Ural, and Altai language families. The most common spoken languages: Russian (state), Belarusian, Ukrainian, Armenian, Tatar, German, Chuvash, Chechen and others.
Russia has the largest Orthodox population in the world - 75% of Russians. Other common faiths are: Islam, Buddhism, Judaism.

According to its state structure, Russia is a federal presidential republic. It consists of 83 entities, including:
— regions — 46,
— republics — 21,
— edges — 9,
— federal cities — 2,
— autonomous okrugs — 4,
- autonomous region - one.

Russia has enormous tourism potential. However, this area is still waiting for its development. At the moment, in addition to the usual resort tourism, a new direction is developing, for example, rural tourism. There are different types of rural tourism: ethnographic, agricultural, ecological, educational, culinary (gastronomic), fishing, sports, adventure, educational, exotic, health and combined.

Rural tourism (agricultural tourism) is, first of all, surrounding nature on all sides, architectural monuments and historical places. Roosters crowing in the morning and fresh milk for dinner, natural food and tourist routes replete with beautiful views, holy springs, monasteries, deposits, the beauty of forests and fields, fishing on the lake, acquaintance with rural life, traditional crafts, the opportunity to join the village environment and cultural heritage, walking, cycling and horseback riding. In addition, rural tourism raises the role of local history.

This type of tourism is thriving in Europe, but in Russia it is still an incomprehensible curiosity, however, there are more and more people who want to relax in the “country” style.

Such a vacation away from the bustle and noise of the city gives a tremendous boost of energy.

Take a few minutes to enjoy 25 truly breathtaking photos of the Earth and Moon from space.

This photograph of Earth was taken by astronauts on the Apollo 11 spacecraft on July 20, 1969.

Spacecraft launched by humanity enjoy views of the Earth from a distance of thousands and millions of kilometers.

Captured by Suomi NPP, a US weather satellite operated by NOAA.
Date: April 9, 2015.

NASA and NOAA created this composite image using photos taken from the Suomi NPP weather satellite, which orbits the Earth 14 times a day.

Their endless observations allow us to monitor the state of our world under the rare positions of the Sun, Moon and Earth.

Captured by the DSCOVR Sun and Earth Observing Spacecraft.
Date: March 9, 2016.

The DSCOVR spacecraft captured 13 images of the moon's shadow running across Earth during the 2016 total solar eclipse.

But the deeper we go into space, the more the view of the Earth fascinates us.

Taken by the Rosetta spacecraft.
Date: November 12, 2009.

The Rosetta spacecraft is designed to study comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. In 2007, it made a soft landing on the surface of a comet. The main probe of the device completed its flight on September 30, 2016. This photo shows the South Pole and sunlit Antarctica.

Our planet looks like a shiny blue marble, shrouded in a thin, almost invisible layer of gas.

Filmed by the Apollo 17 crew
Date: December 7, 1972.

The crew of the Apollo 17 spacecraft took this photograph, entitled "The Blue Marble," during the last manned mission to the Moon. This is one of the most circulated images of all time. It was filmed at a distance of approximately 29 thousand km from the surface of the Earth. Africa is visible in the upper left of the image, and Antarctica is visible in the lower left.

And she drifts alone in the blackness of space.

Filmed by the Apollo 11 crew.
Date: July 20, 1969.

The crew of Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin took this photo during a flight to the Moon at a distance of about 158 ​​thousand km from Earth. Africa is visible in the frame.

Almost alone.

About twice a year, the Moon passes between the DSCOVR satellite and its main observation object, the Earth. Then we get a rare opportunity to look at the far side of our satellite.

The Moon is a cold rocky ball, 50 times smaller than the Earth. She is our greatest and closest heavenly friend.

Filmed by William Anders as part of the Apollo 8 crew.
Date: December 24, 1968.

The famous Earthrise photograph taken from the Apollo 8 spacecraft.

One hypothesis is that the Moon formed after a proto-Earth collided with a planet the size of Mars about 4.5 billion years ago.

Taken by Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO, Lunar Orbiter).
Date: October 12, 2015.

In 2009, NASA launched the robotic interplanetary probe LRO to study the cratered surface of the Moon, but it seized the opportunity to capture this modern version of the Earthrise photograph.

Since the 1950s, humanity has been launching people and robots into space.

Taken by Lunar Orbiter 1.
Date: August 23, 1966.

The robotic unmanned spacecraft Lunar Orbiter 1 took this photo while searching for a site to land astronauts on the Moon.

Our exploration of the Moon is a mixture of the pursuit of technological conquest...

Photographed by Michael Collins of the Apollo 11 crew.
Date: July 21, 1969.

Eagle, the lunar module of Apollo 11, returns from the surface of the Moon.

and insatiable human curiosity...

Taken by the Chang'e 5-T1 lunar probe.
Date: October 29, 2014.

A rare view of the far side of the Moon taken by the China National Space Administration's lunar probe.

and search for extreme adventures.

Filmed by the Apollo 10 crew.
Date: May 1969.

This video was taken by astronauts Thomas Stafford, John Young and Eugene Cernan during a non-landing test flight to the Moon on Apollo 10. Obtaining such an image of Earthrise is only possible from a moving ship.

It always seems that the Earth is not far from the Moon.

Taken by the Clementine 1 probe.
Date: 1994.

The Clementine mission was launched on January 25, 1994, as part of a joint initiative between NASA and the North American Aerospace Defense Command. On May 7, 1994, the probe left control, but had previously transmitted this image, which showed the Earth and the north pole of the Moon.

Taken by Mariner 10.
Date: November 3, 1973.

A combination of two photographs (one of the Earth, the other of the Moon) taken by NASA's robotic interplanetary station Mariner 10, which was launched to Mercury, Venus and the Moon using an intercontinental ballistic missile.

the more amazing our house looks...

Taken by the Galileo spacecraft.
Date: December 16, 1992.

On its way to study Jupiter and its moons, NASA's Galileo spacecraft captured this composite image. The Moon, which is about three times brighter than the Earth, is in the foreground, closer to the viewer.

and the more lonely he seems.

Taken by the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Shoemaker spacecraft.
Date: January 23, 1998.

NASA's NEAR spacecraft, sent to the asteroid Eros in 1996, captured these images of the Earth and Moon. Antarctica is visible at the South Pole of our planet.

Most images do not accurately depict the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

Taken by the Voyager 1 robotic probe.
Date: September 18, 1977.

Most photographs of the Earth and Moon are composite images, made up of several images, because the objects are far apart. But above you see the first photograph in which our planet and its natural satellite are captured in one frame. The photo was taken by the Voyager 1 probe on its way to its “grand tour” of the solar system.

Only after traveling hundreds of thousands or even millions of kilometers, then returning, can we truly appreciate the distance that lies between the two worlds.

Taken by the automatic interplanetary station “Mars-Express”.
Date: July 3, 2003.

The European Space Agency's robotic interplanetary station Max Express (Mars Express) took this image of Earth millions of kilometers away on its way to Mars.

This is a huge and empty space.

Captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter.
Date: April 19, 2001.

This infrared photograph, taken from a distance of 2.2 million km, shows the enormous distance between the Earth and the Moon - about 385 thousand kilometers, or about 30 Earth diameters. The Mars Odyssey spacecraft took this photo as it headed toward Mars.

But even together, the Earth-Moon system looks insignificant in deep space.

Taken by NASA's Juno spacecraft.
Date: August 26, 2011.

NASA's Juno spacecraft captured this image during its nearly 5-year journey to Jupiter, where it is conducting research on the gas giant.

From the surface of Mars, our planet appears to be just another “star” in the night sky, which puzzled early astronomers.

Taken by the Spirit Mars Exploration Rover.
Date: March 9, 2004.

About two months after landing on Mars, the Spirit rover captured a photograph of Earth appearing as a tiny dot. NASA says it is "the first ever image of Earth taken from the surface of another planet beyond the Moon."

The Earth is lost in the shining icy rings of Saturn.

Taken by the Cassini automatic interplanetary station.
Date: September 15, 2006.

NASA's Cassini space station took 165 photos of Saturn's shadow to create this backlit mosaic of the gas giant. The Earth has crept into the image on the left.

Billions of kilometers from Earth, as Carl Sagan quipped, our world is just a “pale blue dot,” a small and lonely ball on which all our triumphs and tragedies are played out.

Taken by the Voyager 1 robotic probe.
Date: February 14, 1990.

This image of Earth is one of a series of "solar system portraits" that Voyager 1 took about 4 billion miles from home.

From Sagan's speech:

“There is probably no better demonstration of stupid human arrogance than this detached picture of our tiny world. It seems to me that it emphasizes our responsibility, our duty to be kinder to each other, to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot - our only home.”

Sagan's message is constant: there is only one Earth, so we must do everything in our power to protect it, protect it mainly from ourselves.

Japan's artificial lunar satellite Kaguya (also known as SELENE) captured this video of the Earth rising above the Moon at 1000% acceleration to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Earthrise photograph taken by the Apollo 8 crew.

What are the possible uses satellites flying over our heads in real time You know?

We can simply observe them, we can observe the Earth using special services, we can calculate coordinates and receive images of the area.

In addition to the static satellite map of the Earth presented above, you can use the Google Earth service or this interactive map to view:

But you can look at such a map from a satellite on the Yandex Maps service.

World map from satellite from Yandex maps online:
(Use + and - to change the map scale)

Google Earth Maps also provides the opportunity for virtual travel to any corner of the world.

(To move around the map, zoom in, out of the map, change the image angle, use the navigation in the form of arrows and + and – signs at the top of the map. Also try to control the map by holding the right mouse button)

Enter the name of the city:

You can watch the Earth in real time from a satellite! You can learn more about this in our article “Earth Online”

• Planet Earth
• Earth online

The capabilities of satellites today are simply fantastic. It turns out that there is another equally interesting activity - satellite fishing!
If you have:
1) Satellite dish
2) Computer DVB tuner (DVB-PCI tuner, DVB card)
Then you can go fishing. But what can we catch and what is the point?

And the meaning is this - when sending a request to issue (download) a file, you send a request to a special server, and the answer comes via satellite to the receiving dish. One person sends a request, but anyone can accept it, because the satellite does not know where a specific user is and transmits information to everyone who falls within its coverage area. In order to receive the file, you need special card for receiving a signal from space. The card has a unique number by which the satellite identifies the recipient, allowing him to receive discrete data. In turn, the “fisherman” catches the entire stream, all the user information from some provider. To catch something worthwhile from this stream, you need special grabber programs that have filters where you can specify file extensions, size, etc. The only thing is that grabbers identify a file not by its extension, but by its file signature, so you will additionally need to download codes with filters. You will also need renaming programs to sort files into directories, remove unnecessary ones and clones.
Who knows, maybe you will be able to catch something “big” or stumble upon information from the “Top secret” section, which will bring a little romance and adventurous notes into your life.

A satellite map of the world allows you to quickly move around the entire planet between any populated areas. Detailed map of the world from satellite in Russian:

Explore the schematic map or switch to the satellite world map in the lower left corner of the map. Schematic map of the world is a map of countries and cities with street names and house numbers in Russian. The schematic map of the world shows attractions and tourist sites, the location of train stations, shops, restaurants and shopping centers, and a map of city roads. Satellite world map will allow you to view satellite photographs of the city thanks to images from the Google Maps service.

You can zoom in on the online map, scaling it to streets and house numbers. To change the scale, use the “+” (zoom in) and “-” (zoom out) icons located in the lower right corner of the map. You can also zoom in or out on the map using the mouse wheel. The left mouse button zooms in on the map, the right mouse button zooms out. You can use the mouse to move the interactive map in all directions by using the left mouse button to grab any place on the map.

Interactive world map online is a very convenient and modern guide for exploring the city, its districts and attractions, hotels, places of recreation and entertainment. An online world map can become an indispensable assistant for you in your independent travel. Interactive map provided by Google Maps.

How satellite maps of the world are created:

The satellite, passing over the planet, scans the earth's surface and maps are compiled using software. More recently, a few years ago, satellite maps showed the surface of the planet from a height of several kilometers. Now technologies allow making satellite maps from a height of several meters, and in the near future technologies will make it possible to create satellite maps with detail up to 30 centimeters.

What to see on the world map from satellite:

First of all, people look on the map for their country, their hometown, the street and the house in which they live. To do this, you can zoom in on the schematic map of the world to your city, and then turn on the “Satellite” mode in the lower left corner of the map. In exactly the same way, you can travel around all countries of the world online, exploring the sights of countries and cities in real time. Popular places that are often searched for on a satellite map: Reichstag in Berlin (Germany), Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Egyptian pyramids, Italy - Colosseum in Rome (Ancient Roman gladiatorial arena, Peterhof in Russia (west of St. Petersburg), Statue of Liberty in the USA - a symbol of America, the Eiffel Tower in Paris (France), the Great Wall of China.

Map of Russia	Map of Italy	Germany map	Israel Map
Map of Spain	Turkey Map	USA map	Armenia Map