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August 2, 2009
August 2009 Imagery Update for Google Earth
[UPDATE August 4: Google released the official details on this update today, and also once again released a handy KML file showing the details on the globe. Read more.]
Google has pushed out an imagery update today for Google Earth. From various accounts, this one covers a lot of area. The update is currently only available in Google Earth, so you can verify whether imagery is new by clicking on the "View in Google Maps" option to compare the current new GE imagery to the previous release. If you find new imagery, not listed below, please leave a comment to this post so we can build a list. Some of the new areas are plainly obvious because of the changes in color visible from space.
I just want to recognize Google has been listening to feedback on imagery. In today's release they've improved the look of shallow waters - especially off the Bahamas and Caribbean. They're using some much better medium resolution satellite imagery now which looks way better than either bathymetry "blue" or low resolution landsat (that had bad color). The Bahamas waters (and other areas) look much more like it should from above.
Hopefully, Google will release another KML file showing the actual update outlines of new imagery tomorrow (Tuesday).
Here's the current places found by GEB readers with new and/or updated imagery [UPDATED - 3-August 14:03 ET ]:
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China - Beijing (very new GeoEye - dated June 29, 2009) - Thanks to the first report of new imagery by GEB reader Lynne.
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USA - Niagara Falls (high res restored) - Thanks 'GT'; Miami, FL - Thanks 'urd'; Lots of areas in Florida; Pascagoula, MS - Thanks 'Munden'
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Africa - These countries have new medium resolution 2.5m/pixel Spot Image: Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal and The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Most of Niger, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Madagascar, Angola - Thanks 'Steven'
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Bahamas - The blue green waters of the Bahamas are back! Thanks 'Steven'. I'm really glad to see this one because I felt GE had gone backwards in this area.
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Italy - Cadenabbia, Lombardy, Menaggio, Bellagio, Varenna - Thanks 'Rauski'; Amalfi Coast - Thanks 'fatboy'
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Balkan Peninsula - colorization changes, possibly more of Europe as well has new colorization. Thanks 'barakuda'
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Thailand - this country also was treated with new 2.5m Spot Image imagery in areas not already with high resolution.
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Spain - Costa del Sol Marbella - Thanks 'fatboy'; Catalonia re-colorized - looks much better according to 'JP'
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Gibralta - Thanks 'fatboy'
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Oman - Muscat - Thanks 'fatboy'
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Finland - Tampere, Rovaniemi, parts of northern finland - Thanks 'Rauski'
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Ireland - Cork - thanks 'robbiemoore24''; Dublin - thanks Noel B.
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Belgium - Apparently new high res for the entire country - thanks 'storaz'
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South Korea - Ulsan and Busan. Also re-colorization? Thanks 'Munden'; Cheju Island - Thanks 'jlb'
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Europe - many countries are "re-colorized" according to GEB commenters below.
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Vietnam - North and southern parts - Thanks 'urd'
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Mexico - Re-colorization for this country, one report of bad green colors (even clouds) - Thanks 'Munden'
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Cambodia - Also has large areas with 2.5m Spot Image - thanks 'Donalbain'
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Australia - Perth - thanks 'James'
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Poland - Warsaw area - thanks 'PaSKud'
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Brazil - Curitiba, Pinhais - high res - Thanks Andreas
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Ukraine - Makeevka, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Simferopol. Other areas in "dark" colors. Thanks 'oan'
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Argentina - Chaco Province: Taco Pozo, Presidencia de la Plaza, Charadai, Capitán Solari; Córdoba Province: Río Segundo, Pilar. Thanks 'Pertile'
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Turkey - between Manavgat and Antalya (but has clouds) - Thanks 'Richy'.
Posted by FrankTaylor at August 2, 2009 2:43 PM
Comments
Posted by: fatboy at August 2, 2009 2:54 PM
1. Italy (Lombardy): lake como area, Menaggio, Bellagio, Varenna...
2. Finland: Tampere, Rovaniemi, parts of northern finland
Posted by: rauskis at August 2, 2009 3:03 PM
Ireland-cork
Posted by: rm at August 2, 2009 3:18 PM
Complete coverage for Belgium !! Finally
Posted by: storaz at August 2, 2009 3:39 PM
The Iberian Peninsula has been colorized. Before this update, Portugal, Catalonia and Andalusia looked different colorization respect to the remainder of the peninsula.
Posted by: Roto2 at August 2, 2009 4:24 PM
It will be interesting to see if Google release a KML file of the August updates/new imagery like the one released on 14 July for that month. It was very useful, and made an interesting comparison with the list compiled from GEB readers' observations - pretty good on major changes - but it was not clear if the file was just a one off.
Posted by: Chris at August 2, 2009 4:25 PM
Miami, and Key West in Florida....Santiago De Cuba and, Manzanillo in Cuba..Bimini and Bahamas..
Posted by: urd at August 2, 2009 4:30 PM
Also new imagery in the North ans South of Vientnam
Posted by: urd at August 2, 2009 4:34 PM
I don't know if it's just me but is the "Scale Legend" on the bottom left new? (selectable under "View")
Posted by: Michael at August 2, 2009 4:46 PM
What about a KML file for the August Imagery Update as you did in July? I found it most helpful!
Thank you
Posted by: Antonio Teixeira at August 2, 2009 4:49 PM
South Korea:
New Images: Ulsan and Busan
The rest of the country looks like there area a lot of colorization updates to satellite imagery such as Seoul, Incheon, Gimhae, and Jinhae.
Posted by: Munden at August 2, 2009 5:11 PM
Catalonia (Spain) repainted. Much better now!
Posted by: JP at August 2, 2009 5:24 PM
New imagery for the south of Cheju island (South Korea)
Posted by: jlb at August 2, 2009 5:25 PM
- Uzbekistan and west of Kazakhstan got Spot Image coverage.
Posted by: Neutravo at August 2, 2009 5:31 PM
There is recolored imagery for Mexico, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece, Albania, Western Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Egypt, new 2.5m Medium Resolution Spot Imagery for Western Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, More new imagery for, Ohio, Albuquerque, Some areas near Las Vegas.
Posted by: Steven at August 2, 2009 5:47 PM
Mexico: Massive colorization. At least some of it is very bad. Look south of Monterrey. GREEN clouds? You can also hardly even see the Cola de Caballo (Horsetail Falls) because the water has been turned so green that it blends in with the trees.
USA
The colorization continues on up to the areas just north of the border such as around Brownsville, TX.
Posted by: Munden at August 2, 2009 5:49 PM
USA: Florida has a fairly large update actually. There's a long section from just north of Cape Canveral that goes south. (excluding Melbourne, FL) So, yes, Cape Canveral got updated.
The new imagery ends somewhere north of St Lucie, but they've merged the colors so well that I can't tell where yet. It's somewhere between the Vero Beach airport (updated) and St Lucie Airport. (not updated) I don't think the update extends too far to the west away from the coastline.
Posted by: Munden at August 2, 2009 6:03 PM
USA: Pascagoula, MS is updated, though curiously they only used an image from about a month after the other image.
Posted by: Munden at August 2, 2009 6:07 PM
USA: Albuquerque, NM and a large area west and then south following the Rio Grande south quite some distance until nearly to Alamillo.
Posted by: Munden at August 2, 2009 6:20 PM
When will Google update Switzerland and Germany? The Imagery of Switzerland is dated 1997 and The German Imagery is dated 2000 and I want Imagery from 2008 or 2009.
Posted by: Steven at August 2, 2009 6:25 PM
For Thailand, by far not all the areas without hires data has received the SPOT imaginary - both in the north and south it still has several areas with old lores data.
Posted by: Andy at August 2, 2009 6:31 PM
Just to clarify what I said earlier about Catalonia now looking much better. I think it still looks kind of weird from afar. The colorization is far from perfect, but now at least it blends in with the rest of the country!
Posted by: JP at August 2, 2009 7:36 PM
Add Dublin Ireland to the list
Posted by: Noel Ballantyne at August 2, 2009 7:40 PM
Huge Parts of Cambodia, also parts of southern Laos
Posted by: Donalbain at August 2, 2009 7:53 PM
When will Google put Colombia, Boyacá Department in high resolution? Specially Tunja (Capital City) and its main cities (Sogamoso and Duitama).
Posted by: Leonardo Leidi at August 2, 2009 8:04 PM
I don't see the new update on Google Earth or Maps? How do I get the new one?
Posted by: A at August 2, 2009 8:45 PM
Parts of Cambodia have been updated.
Posted by: Kris at August 3, 2009 12:16 AM
Australia: Perth high-res imagery from late 2008.
Posted by: James at August 3, 2009 4:19 AM
New hi-res spot north from Warsaw in Poland and second one south-east from Warsaw.
Posted by: PaSKud at August 3, 2009 5:38 AM
Thanks alot GE for finally updating Belgium!!!
Posted by: Jonas91 at August 3, 2009 8:19 AM
Southern part of Aral Sea, now Vozrozhdeniya Island is a peninsula.
Posted by: Bogdan at August 3, 2009 8:42 AM
There is a small update in the Dry Valleys area of Antarctica. Color balancing is off, however.
Posted by: Tom Henderson at August 3, 2009 9:56 AM
BELGIUM it's good to have complete high res coverage of the intricate landscape of this historic and under-appreciated country at last. But sensibly GE have retained the strip of even higher res 2004 coverage including Bruxelles and Antwerpen.
Posted by: Chris at August 3, 2009 10:35 AM
Brazil: areas around Curitiba / Pinhais are very high res from May 2009
Posted by: Andreas at August 3, 2009 11:58 AM
In Ukraine with hi-res images renewed Makeevka and east part of Donetsk city, Kharkiv, Simferopol and large territories in different regions which to be easily recognized with their dark colours
Posted by: oan at August 3, 2009 12:11 PM
The city of Curitiba - South Brazil - is now fully covered in great high resolution imagery!
Posted by: Tiago Carraro at August 3, 2009 12:18 PM
No KML about updated places from Google this time (similar to a KML following the July imagery update)?
Posted by: Aulo at August 3, 2009 12:28 PM
Argentina:
* Chaco Province: Taco Pozo, Presidencia de la Plaza, Charadai, Capitán Solari.
* Córdoba Province: Río Segundo, Pilar
Posted by: Pertile at August 3, 2009 1:24 PM
New Imagery in Turkye between Manavgat and Antalya. But many Clouds
Posted by: Richy at August 3, 2009 1:33 PM
Suva, Fiji has new imagery; but lots of clouds.
Posted by: Steven at August 3, 2009 4:03 PM
might not be part of this update, but if you zoom into the town of Reus in Catalonia you'll notice that the view isnt directly overhead - its at an angle - almost like a 3d isometric view.
Posted by: umbriel at August 3, 2009 4:39 PM
Mishelevka, Russia: BMEW radars now visible
Baoji, China
Part of the Sary Shagan ABM range in central Kazakhstan
Posted by: Sean O'Connor at August 4, 2009 2:29 AM
some new high res stripes in Ari Atoll (3°55'14.72"N, 72°44'38.58"E)and Huvadhu Atoll (0°42'58.08"N, 73°26'22.82"E) in Maldives.
Posted by: Alsay at August 4, 2009 2:36 AM
and the new high resolution stripe in the west ring of Ari Atoll has a weird red paint to it which makes the Islands look unreal and even the outer rim of the reefs are turned red which is never the color of it in real life.
Posted by: Alsay at August 4, 2009 2:43 AM
Makkah, Saudi Arabia has got another update
Posted by: Alsay at August 4, 2009 2:49 AM
Thanks Rauskis! Have you got anything for Turku :) ?
Posted by: Tomi at August 4, 2009 2:49 AM
Lanzhou in China has an update from 6 July 2009
Posted by: McMaster_de at August 4, 2009 3:39 AM
Tangier in Morocco is updated to 14 July 2009
Posted by: McMaster_de at August 4, 2009 6:16 AM
New imagery in the Philippines:
1. a tip of Northern Samar
2. some parts of Samar/Eastern Samar
3. Negros Occidental (this has a large overlap with existing imagery)
Posted by: Eugene at August 4, 2009 11:57 AM
The new imagery in Turkey dates from July 20, 2009. Only 13 days from taking the shot to worldwide publishing!!
Posted by: Ernst M. Kofler at August 4, 2009 3:16 PM
The KML is out! :)
Posted by: Forke at August 4, 2009 3:26 PM
Dear,
(letter written specially for the one who update Google Earth Imagery)
Good day,
For your information, there are many area was developed in Malaysia, should have many new imagery currently, but i do not found any updates on google earth, it is very much appreciated if we (the Malaysian) could see the updated imagery for the land of Malaysia in Google Earth.
Thank You.
From:
a little girl who depends on Google Earth
to see direction of location and maps in this world...sadly, i found a lot of scars on the sea surface...our earth no more a nice & smooth looking ball,its full of scars & pimply caused by the earthquake occur years ago.
Posted by: Care The Earth at August 5, 2009 4:19 AM
we hope there are imagery updates on South Pacific which includes South East Asia imagery (eg. Singapore and Malaysia.) TQ.
Posted by: QweQwe at August 5, 2009 4:28 AM
The Map for India is outdated. Pls update the new one
Posted by: jegan at August 5, 2009 8:31 AM
I am sure satellites have taken millions of pictures of the Colombian surface. We would like to see them on Google Earth, especially the part around Armenia, Quindio. Thankx!
Posted by: Juan S at August 7, 2009 12:31 AM
The colorization of imagery along the entire Baja California peninsula is very bad,and even the historical imagery is badly compromised. Users should have the option to use previous imagery before the update.
Posted by: Richard Minnich at August 7, 2009 5:50 PM
I can't see the updates, help!!!
Posted by: A at August 8, 2009 7:09 PM
I think Google should update its NYC imagery with the new ballparks. The current imagery date says 2004 and those ballparks weren't even under construction back then.
Posted by: GT at August 9, 2009 11:15 AM
the names for Kosovo and its cities is written also in Cyrillic/serbian, and that is not necesarry, who should be contacted regarding this?
Posted by: Elvin at August 14, 2009 7:51 AM
The Map of Montevideo Uruguay Port bay is outdated. Pls update the new one
Posted by: Rodolfo at August 14, 2009 3:53 PM
Please update Galveston TX. Last year hurricane Ike destroyed many of the structures and roads on the island and drastically changed the geography of the entire Galveston Bay system. The current Google satelite images are causing lots of confusion.
Posted by: bill at August 19, 2009 3:55 PM
hello, i cant update my google earth because i am in iran. please guid me. thanks
Posted by: reza at September 11, 2009 10:27 AM
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New imagery
along Amalfi Coast, Italy
Costa del Sol, Spain
Gibraltar
around Muscat, Oman