People claim the Great Wall of China can be seen from space. Is that correct? Is it possible to see a human-made structure from another planet?
We need to know where Earth's atmosphere ends and outer space begins to answer that question. The boundary between Earth and space is known as the Krmn line. It's usually defined as 100 kilometers above the surface.
What can we see from that far up? Is it possible for someone at the Krmn line to see the Great Wall of China on a clear day?
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There are many structures that can be seen from space. They aren't likely to be places that people immediately think of.
According to the Universities Space Research Association, the deepest "open-pit" mine in the world is located at the Bingham Canyon Mine. The mine can be seen from the Krmn line without the need for magnification, but it can also be seen by astronauts on the Space Shuttle, which flew at altitudes between 190 and 330 miles.
NASA says that the Three Gorges Dam can be seen from space. The world's largest hydroelectric dam is thought to be the most expensive ever built according to France 24. It is more than two miles long and tall.
The Krmn line can be seen from the Palm Jumeirah. The artificial islands can be seen from the International Space Station with an 800mm (31 inches) lens.
Chris Hadfield, a former commander of the International Space Station, said that some highways can be picked out based on the conditions and light.
Some astronauts disagree about whether the pyramids can be seen from space. Tim Peake suggested that they can't open in new tab, but he admitted that the structures can be seen through an 800mm lens. The man who commanded the International Space Station claims he spotted the pyramids while in the air.
Even with the naked eye, there is a lot to see from the International Space Station. If the lighting and weather were good, I could pick out the two big ones with the naked eye.
What about the Great Wall of China? The myth is broken. It is not possible to see the Great Wall of China from space. Hadfield wrote that it was too narrow and followed the natural contours and colors of the geography.
The man who took the first picture of the Great Wall of China admits he couldn't see it.
The claim that cities are visible from space is supported by a former NASA astronauts, who lived on the International Space Station for over a year.
Anderson told Live Science that he could see gray blobs through the window. One of my favorite cities, Omaha, Nebraska, appeared to me as a big gray blob, and its sister city Lincoln, which is much smaller, appeared as a not so big gray blob.
Anderson said that he could see the areas behind some of the dams where the water had built up, but he wouldn't be able to say that he actually saw the dam.
Although it's a difficult question to answer, Anderson said that the Sahara was his personal favorite. It was different every time I flew over.
The original article was published on Live Science.
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