It’s been a while since you might have heard about Google Earth, but rest assured, the service is still very much alive. Today marks the 20th anniversary of Google Earth, and to celebrate this milestone, Google is allowing users to travel back in time to witness how their favorite locations or hometowns have transformed over the years.
In a recent blog post, Google reflected on Google Earth’s remarkable journey over the past two decades. Alongside this reflection, they announced two exciting new features being added to the platform. The first is the Historical Imagery feature, which enables you to view past images and observe how a particular area looked years ago and how it has gradually changed.
Google Earth Historical Imagery Feature
This feature lets you select any location worldwide and slide through time to see its historical appearances. I personally tested this feature on the Google Earth app and explored my hometown as it appeared in 1985. Depending on the location, you can go even further back in time.
In addition, Google plans to roll out AI-driven insights on Google Earth in the upcoming weeks. This will offer professionals access to new planetary datasets and tools to analyze specific environmental factors such as tree coverage, surface temperature, and rooftop reflectivity. At present, it seems this feature might initially be available only to experts within the United States.
I fondly remember using Google Earth extensively during my middle school years to explore various parts of the globe. It’s truly impressive that this service has endured for so long and has not been discontinued like many other Google projects. I hope Google Earth continues its journey for another 20 years, inspiring curious minds to learn more about our planet.
