Truth is stranger than fiction, they say. Well, we’re about to find out without stepping foot outside our homes.
Today we set out on a mission not to just explore Earth, but to explore Google Earth, a computer program that renders a 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. You can zoom in to your house or dive in for a 360° perspective of a random street in the world you may never visit in real life.
But Google Earth has gained people's attention and become a weird adventure of its own accord after users realized there are hundreds, if not thousands, of very weird places captured on there. It has become a destination for mystery and “what on Earth is happening over there?!” kind of reactions.
The “Weird Google Earth” project, which has both a Twitter account and a website, collects the funniest, weirdest, and most mysterious snaps that Google Earth’s and Google Maps’ cars and satellites have witnessed. Trust us, it feels like it doesn’t get weirder than this, until it does.
#1 "Bread Man". Location: Old City, Jerusalem
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#2 "Japanese Bird People". Location: Tokyo, Japan
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#3 "Is That A Ghost?". Location: Nauru, Micronesia
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
In order to find out more about how Google Earth works and what aspects of the program we need to be aware of when it comes to our privacy, Bored Panda reached out to Daniel Markuson, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN.
Markuson explained that Google Earth creates a 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. “The program maps the Earth by overlapping satellite images, Google Street View images, and GIS (geographic information system) data onto a 3D globe, allowing users to see cities and landscapes from various angles.”
#4 "This Very Talented Truck". Location: Tonkawa, Oklahoma, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#5 "Goodbye Internet Explorer". Location: Gyeongju, South Korea
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#6 "Creepy Headless And Hand-Less Dancing Man". Location: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
However, there are some pretty big privacy concerns when it comes to Google Street View. Markuson explained that “Google Street View cameras are able to capture images and moments that people would like to keep private (such as protesters at an abortion clinic, people in bikinis, or other activities that are wanted to be private, even though they are visible from the public property).”
#7 "Did You Slip A Little There?". Location: Margate, England
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#8 "A Literal Trainwreck". Location: Wells, Nevada, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#9 "Low Budget Spiderman". Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
Also, Google Street cameras take pictures from an elevated position and are able to capture pictures over hedges that are designed to keep territories private.
Markuson said that “even though anyone can request to blur some parts of the picture, and usually the faces and car numbers are blurred automatically, there are still many images of potential break-ins, sunbathers, and individuals entering adult bookstores that could be found online as they were republished so many times.” He added that some examples are available even on reputable news websites like Business Insider or Cne
#10 "So Many Things Going On". Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#11 "Jet Fighter On A Parking Lot". Location: Hagen, Germany
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#12 "Playing Dead". Location: East London, South Africa
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
Moreover, the cybersecurity expert noted that people photographed by Google Street cameras never give their consent for doing that. “And this is a big privacy issue as anybody who wants to remain completely private in the digital world should have the right to do that.”
#13 "Church That Looks Like A Penis". Church That Looks Like A Penis
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#14 "Giant Pink Bunny, Prata Nevoso, Italy". Location: Prata Nevoso, Italy
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#15 "A Cocktail Of Strange Things". Location: Winnsboro. South Carolina, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
Google Maps users also want to be aware of the fact that if you enable location tracking on your Google Maps, Google will collect data about your whereabouts under its Location History section. “It is being done across devices where you’re signed in with your Google account. If you’ve been keeping your location tracking on, you can see your own location history map here,” Markuson told us.
#16 "Two Red Ladies". Location: Dublin, Ireland
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#17 "Gay Parking Only". Location: Redhill, England
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#18 "Weird Diving Place". Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
“Needless to say that by using Google Maps for planning routes and searching for places, you’re feeding Google with valuable information about your whereabouts which can later be used for targeting you with ads,” the cybersecurity expert added.
Meanwhile, Google Earth privacy issues are mostly connected to its Google Street View feature. “Many people don’t want their homes to be shown there as they see this as a breach of their privacy,” Markuson concluded.
#19 "Bear Sighting". Location: Arges County, Romania
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#20 "Garden Of The Un-Living". Location: Sabile, Latvia
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#21 "Tonopah Test Range Airport Bomb Target". Location: Nye County, Nevada, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#22 "On The Sunken Ship". Location: Gulf Of Mexico
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#23 "Black Hole In The Sky". Location: Stuart, Florida, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#24 "Not Something You’d Wanna See On The Road". Location: Turicachi, Mexico
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#25 "Is This Safe?". Location: Navotas, Philippines
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#26 "Aliens In Turkey". Location: Kusadasi, Turkey
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#27 "Don’t Look Too Close". Location: Ida-Viru County, Estonia
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#28 "Shoutout". Location: Kinmen, China
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#29 "The Black Ghost". Location: Klaipėda, Lithuania
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#30 "How Many Animals Can You Spot?". Location: Lach Dennis, England
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#31 "Run For Your Life When You See This". Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#32 "Perfect Skiing Shot". Location: Mont Blanc, Europe
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#33 "What Is She Doing There?". Location: Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#34 "Cars The Movie Reject". Location: Carinthia, Austria
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#35 "La Cueva Del Diablo". Location: Potosi. Bolivia
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#36 "Where Does It Lead?". Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#37 "Waving Half Bird Man". Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#38 "Catacombs Of Paris". Catacombs Of Paris
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#39 "Lone Orange Box". Location: Delano, California, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#40 "Art Installation Glitch". Location: Questa, New Mexico, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#41 "The Big Fish". Location: Bena, Minnesota, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#42 "What’s It Doing There?". Location: Kocani, North Macedonia
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#43 "Sand Bird?". Location: Xinjiang, China
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#44 "Miyoshi Doll Village". Location: Miyoshi, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#45 "Your Very Own Backyard Plane". Location; Roxas Blvd, Philippines
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#46 "Archery Practice". Location: Wallingford, Connecticut, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#47 "Jesus Loves You". Location: Boise National Forest, Boise, Idaho
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#48 "Baby Shark". Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#49 "Bear Lover". Location: Gramado, Brazil
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#50 "Unwanted Visitor". Location: Houlton, Maine, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#51 "Tipped Car". Location: Chauconin-Neufmontiers, France
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#52 "One Of A Kind Bmw". Location: Hagestein, Netherlands
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#53 "Pet Dino Skeleton". Location: Dixon, California, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#54 "Chill On A Hill". Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#55 "Bikes On A Pole". Location: Catadau, Valencia, Spain
Image credits: Weird Google EarthWeird Google Earth
#56 "The Best Place For Sightseeing". Location: Dusseldorf, Germany
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#57 "Smiling Buildings". Location: South Lake Tahoe, California, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#58 "The Boat (Car) Is Sinking". Location: Creole, Louisiana, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#59 "The Little Tank That Could". Location: Franklin, Georgia, USA
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#60 "Morning Grind". Location: Compania, Italy
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#61 "Mummified Gardener". Location: London, England
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
#62 "Festival In Xochimilco Eco Park". Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Image credits: Weird Google Earth
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