With the exception of the pyramids in Egypt it is hard to think of a geographical location on earth that has generated more speculation, wonderment and interest than Area 51.
While shrouded in secrecy and official US government denial of its very existence, Area 51, a secret military facility located 90 miles north of Las Vegas, Nevada, can hide no longer. Why? Look to the skies. Look to satellite imagery from the Russian Space Agency to be exact.


A glimpse of Area 51

Better yet say hello to TerraServer:

The newly released Soviet satellite images of Area 51 are but a tiny part of what can be found on TerraServer. This site currently holds 1980-1998 imagery covering more than 2 million square kilometers of the surface of the earth. Every one of those kilometers is ours to explore. Two million square kilometers is a lot of area. Thankfully there is a wonderful search engine provided. With the help of the search engine and a little effort, chances are good that you will be able to peer down onto your very own rooftop in your very own neighborhood. In addition to viewing your backyard on line the TerraServer provides for the purchase of these images in large hard copy photographic formats.

Imagery on this site comes from a number of different sources:

ORBIMAGE
UK Perspectives
SPIN-2 (satellite imagery from the Russian Space Agency's (SOVINFORMSPUTNIK) KVR-1000 imagery system)
Space Imaging
Veridian ERIM International
OrbView-2 imagery
Veridian ERIM International

TerraServer brings it all together. One can easily spend hours exploring the planet from this amazing vantage point.

Ok, so you already know what your rooftop and neighborhood look like and you are more interested in the weather as viewed from far above? Not a problem:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

A United States governmental agency, NOAAs legacy dates back to the 1800's, when in 1807 a survey of the Coast was established by President Thomas Jefferson. Today among a host of other services to the global scientific community NOAA offers real-time imagery via environmental, geostationary and polar satellites.

Another site offering updated and current imagery is:

Global Hydrology and Climate Center

The "Interactive Global Geostationary Weather Satellite Imagery" on this site is extensive to say the least. Constantly updated views from the GOES-8,GOES-10, GMS-5 and the METEOSAT-7 satellites are to be found here.

With the use of our computers and the internet we can now personally view and learn more about our home: Planet Earth.