• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Google Earth Blog

The amazing things about Google Earth

  • Home
  • About
  • Basics
  • Links
  • Tips
  • 3D Models
  • Sightseeing
  • Videos

Google Earth 5 – The New Google Mars

February 2, 2009

[UPDATED] One of my favorite new major features of Google Earth 5 is the new Mars mode. This feature isn’t obvious when you first load up Google Earth 5, but it is fantastic! After loading Google Earth you look for the little planet icon at the top center of the view. Click on it and you will see a menu. You now can switch between Earth, Sky, AND Mars.

Mars option in Google Earth 5

Once you select this, Google Earth transforms itself in a view of Mars instead of Earth. This is NOT just an image overlay on top of Earth! Its a complete simulation of the planet Mars just like Google Earth. You use the same controls, and there is even a set of very useful layers just like in Google Earth. Here’s a screenshot:
Mars in Google Earth 5

Zooming in is where the real excitement begins. Google shows satellite imagery just like with Google Earth of the martian surface. Not only that, but they have 3D terrain as well! Look at this shot of Valleris Maneris (the huge grand canyon of Mars):
Valleris Maneris in Google Earth 5

And, that’s just the beginning. There are very high resolution satellite images from the HiRISE imaging system on the Mars Reconnaissance Observatory satellite. You’ll see strips of HiRISE imagery overlayed in Google Mars. These images are just as high resolution as those you often find in Google Earth. You can see things down to the size of cars or even smaller in these images!
See this shot of a crater with the HiRISE imagery:
Crater on Mars with HiRISE in Google Earth 5

Google Mars layersOMG…this is really cool! Check out the layer folders on the left. Open up the Mars Gallery->Rovers and Landers. Then double-click on MER Opportunity Rover layer folder.
This will fly you to the place where the robotic explorer known as “Opportunity” moved across Mars. You can see its track, and as you zoom in you can see where it went. Like when it went into Victoria Crater in September of 2006. Check out this screenshot which also shows that you can see panoramic photooverlays of color photos by Opportunity:
Google Mars rover tracks and photos.

[UPDATE: Here’s a video I’ve created illustrating all of this in more detail:


Download the new Google Earth 5 now and you can launch yourself to Mars right now! It’s free!

About Frank Taylor

Frank Taylor started the Google Earth Blog in July, 2005 shortly after Google Earth was first released. He has worked with 3D computer graphics and VR for many years and was very impressed with this exciting product. Frank completed a 5.5 year circumnavigation of the earth by sailboat in June 2015 which you can read about at Tahina Expedition, and is a licensed pilot, backpacker, diver, and photographer.

  • More Posts(1963)

Filed Under: 3D Models, Applications, Google Earth News, Science, Sightseeing

Reader Interactions






PLEASE NOTE: Google Earth Blog is no longer writing regular posts. As a result, we are not accepting new comments or questions about Google Earth. If you have a question, use the official Google Earth and Maps Forums or the Google Earth Community Forums.

Comments

  1. Greg Croft says

    February 2, 2009 at 1:33 pm

    Wow! This is really amazing!

  2. Chris Radcliff says

    February 2, 2009 at 1:48 pm

    This is wonderful! I’ve been hoping for full Mars support in Google Earth for a while now.
    Any idea how well this works with Sketchup? The ability to site 3D models of spacecraft and structures would be fantastic…

  3. David Lewiston says

    February 2, 2009 at 2:58 pm

    Yes, I like the new GE. Glad it’s being improved.
    Two things:
    1. The Hawaiian island of Lanai is labelled Maui in GE5.
    2. I’m disappointed that the resolution of the Himalayan region around Dharamsala is still not improved.

  4. chris says

    February 2, 2009 at 3:17 pm

    View of Mars seems to start at equivalent ‘lat/lomg’ and altitude that you have just quit on Earth, and vice versa, with one little aspect that is probably not meant to carry over – I get GE’s selection of major place marks like the Eifel Tower and Nelson’s Column on Mars!

  5. Peter says

    February 2, 2009 at 3:18 pm

    I just noticed that on google mars the atmosphere shines blue. On your screenshot it apears orange. Did anybody else has the same blue atmosphere?
    Greetins

  6. Frank Taylor says

    February 2, 2009 at 3:21 pm

    @Peter: The problem with blue atmosphere on Mars occurs if you have an old graphics/video cards. New cards show the right atmosphere. You also probably do not see sunrise/set on Google Earth.

  7. alphamone says

    February 2, 2009 at 3:27 pm

    yay, they have finaly given us mars.
    This is fantastic, and just another thing to do to waste my time.

  8. Peter says

    February 2, 2009 at 3:28 pm

    Shame on my computer … It´s time to upgrade my hardware :-). Sunrise and sunset are also not available.

  9. Mcek says

    February 2, 2009 at 3:57 pm

    And you can talk to Meliza bot in the Cydonia region! :-).

  10. smokeonit says

    February 2, 2009 at 4:17 pm

    my mac, a macbook pro 2.0, will be 3 years old in march, and it renders everything 100%;_)
    so recent is a relative term;-)

  11. olracUK says

    February 2, 2009 at 7:54 pm

    Ab-so-lute-ly blinkin’ amazin’ !
    Loved it, zooming into the panorama pics, little things like the small rocks, track marks in the dust.
    Meliza bot took a while to learn “lol” – please keep teaching her everyone!

  12. Jens says

    February 2, 2009 at 10:38 pm

    This Mars thing is so great!! love it..

  13. Frans Blok says

    February 3, 2009 at 3:40 pm

    I found out that Google Earth 5 is fully compatible with my Modified Mars add-on. The terraforming map folds itself over the terrain which adds a whole new dimension and looks especially great using the flight simulator!
    Only the sea looks a bit rough, since that part also folds itself on the terrain; as far as I can see there’s no way to define a continuous blue surface around the whole planet.
    (It seems wise to first set GE to Mars and then open the kmz; at least my computer crashed a few times when I tried it the other way around.)

  14. David says

    February 3, 2009 at 9:15 pm

    Very nice new addition to the program overall and a great resource for those in multiple industries that have assets “in-the-field”. One bug I did notice is the daylight season change on the Mars view is still coded for Earth and not Mars.

  15. aisha says

    February 5, 2009 at 1:38 pm

    For More Traffic Share Your Links With http://www.devbhai.com

  16. Hubi says

    February 7, 2009 at 9:23 am

    Does anybody know how to enter coordinates in mars?

  17. Matthew says

    February 7, 2009 at 12:20 pm

    Really liking exploring Mars. Some of the detail is breath taking.
    You can enter co-ordinates with e.g “15N 144W”

  18. Paul Bealer says

    February 7, 2009 at 3:59 pm

    I just tried to download the latest update, but, guess what? After I downloaded it, I got a message that Google Chrome, my default browser, is not supported. I find it hard to believe that Google doesn’t support it’s own browser. BTW, It did download and I am using it now. Go figure!

  19. Pete Gordon says

    February 7, 2009 at 7:46 pm

    1, The new GE is completely unable to address my Mac 10.5.
    2. I noticed that GE does not show a border between China and Tibet. Do you do this so you will be allowed to operate in China?
    Most of us still recognize Tibet as being an independent nation occupied by Chinese forces, same status as Palestine, which is shown with its own borders.
    Pete Gordon

  20. Money maker says

    February 9, 2009 at 12:58 pm

    I like this feature.. Hope there would be a Google Jupiter possibly

  21. John Barenberg says

    February 9, 2009 at 3:45 pm

    While in the “Mars” and “Sky” mode on GE, I can’t seem to be able to do searches or “fly to’s”. I was able to do that until I upgraded to GE 5. Any suggestions? I upgraded to 5 on my home computer and it works fine, just doesn’t seem to work correctly on my work PC. I’ve tried reinstalling GE to no avail.

  22. Roshaan says

    February 11, 2009 at 3:36 pm

    A big white patch is seen on the southern side of mars in GE. what is that and why isnt it clear?
    please update the imagery!

  23. m. iLLICH says

    February 12, 2009 at 8:41 am

    does google ocean work and How do I get it TO work?

  24. Matt v says

    February 15, 2009 at 2:56 am

    When can we expect to be able to enter a HiRISE or other image number (PSP…,etc) in ‘Fly To’ and be taken to the site of the image? This is impossible now, but would be of tremendous contextual help to those of us doing serious Mars research.

  25. Arango says

    March 9, 2009 at 7:36 pm

    Wow, this is totally awesome!
    Fantastic.
    To answer a previous question, it seems to work fine with Sketchup. I just built a quick 2001 obelisk and stuck it in the sand 😉

  26. Michael says

    March 16, 2009 at 10:16 pm

    Ok, I read Peters comment about how the mars atmosphere appears blue on his computer and someone responded that it was the graphics card and that he probably can’t see sunrise or sunset…well is the sunrise sunset thing when you click on sun and then the whole planet adjusts to dark and bright spots according to the timezones because my computer does that…it just doesn’t display the orange mars atmoshere its blue instead!
    Can anyone explain this to me please…Thanks

  27. ENRIQUEANTONIO says

    April 11, 2009 at 7:50 pm

    MAGNIFIC!!
    CONGRATULATIONS TO GOOGLE TEAM AND N.A.S.A. OFCOURSE! THANKS A LOT!

  28. sam says

    May 25, 2009 at 9:28 am

    check this out (on Mars)
    19.082587° -33.272995°

  29. Isaac says

    May 26, 2009 at 10:04 am

    Try the flight simulator on mars. Seriously!

  30. Dork_mars says

    November 29, 2010 at 2:55 pm

    Check out the new Google Earth 6. very rich features. http://techshrimp.com/2010/11/29/google-earth-6-here-with-3d-trees-integrated-street-view-and-easy-to-use-historical-imagery/

  31. ross says

    December 22, 2010 at 2:06 pm

    no facts and good pics

  32. ross says

    December 22, 2010 at 2:27 pm

    i hope the uk will open a space agency think of the posabilitys and i would like nasa to improve on taking more people into space i know i would although im 12 i am so inspired about the cosmos that i would want to be a cosmolagist like my hero steven hawking and all the others and phisasists and scientists in genral Stephen hawkin has helped me to understand the universe better than the science musiem in london his show stephen hawkings universe explains how time travel is posible and what aliens might look like he is amaszing i would want to be like him one day and go to university to become a cosmolagist scientist and phisasist

  33. Robert says

    July 16, 2016 at 3:16 pm

    Mars has taken over my Google Earth. I can’t get plain old earth back. Tried the drop-down menu on the GE toolbar – no joy.



PLEASE NOTE: Google Earth Blog is no longer writing regular posts. As a result, we are not accepting new comments or questions about Google Earth. If you have a question, use the official Google Earth and Maps Forums or the Google Earth Community Forums.

Primary Sidebar

RSS
Follow by Email
Facebook
Twitter




Categories

  • 3D Models (792)
  • Applications (708)
  • Business (288)
  • Environment (353)
  • Flying (208)
  • GE Plugin (282)
  • Google Earth News (1,764)
  • Google Earth Tips (592)
  • GPS (136)
  • Navigation (227)
  • Network Links (214)
  • Sailing (121)
  • Science (499)
  • Sightseeing (1,903)
  • Site News (587)
  • Sky (67)
  • Sports (154)
  • Street View (50)
  • Tours (117)
  • Video (421)
  • Weather (180)

Get new posts by email

Get new posts by email:

Google Earth Satellites

Copyright 2005-© 2023 Frank Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

This blog and its author are not an official source of information from Google that produces and owns Google Earth Google and Google Earth are trademarks of Google Inc.. All image screenshots from Google Earth are Copyright Google. All other trademarks appearing here are the trademarks of their respective owners.