Jakarta –
There are a number of tall buildings and large constructions that humans have built on the face of the earth. Of the many giant structures, some people may have wondered, are there any buildings that can be seen from space?
Rumor has it that the Great Wall of China can be seen from space. But, is that true? Are there any buildings that can be seen from space? Check out the explanation in this article.
Is It Possible to See Buildings from Space?
First, we need to know in advance where the area of outer space begins and Earth’s atmosphere ends. Reporting from the Live Science page, there is a boundary that marks the end of Earth’s territory and the beginning of outer space, namely the Karman Line.
This line is named after physicist Theodore von Karman. The Karman Line is considered to be the divider between earth and outer space. This line is located at an altitude of 100 km above the Earth’s surface. So, the area above this distance is called the outer space area.
Quoted by the Astronomy website, what space travelers and astronauts see on the Earth’s surface of course depends on how high they float in outer space.
In addition, objects on the Earth’s surface can also be seen from space depending on weather conditions and lighting, according to former commander of the International Space Station (ISS), Chris Hadfield.
In fact, a number of man-made structures can be seen from outside the Earth’s atmosphere at certain altitudes. So, what buildings are visible from space?
4 Buildings Visible from Space
There are only a few man-made structures that can be seen from outside the Earth’s atmosphere, namely:
1. Bingham Canyon Mine
The Bingham Canyon Mine is located approximately 32 km southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. This mine is said to be the largest man-made mine and the deepest mine in the world.
It is so big and wide that the Bingham Canyon Mine can be seen from the Karman Line without needing zoom in. NASA astronauts also reported that they could see this mine at an altitude of between 305-531 km above sea level.
2. Three Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam was built along the Yangtze River, China. This dam is 185 m high and more than 2 km long.
According to NASA, the dam, which is the largest power generating facility in the world, can be seen from space.
3. Palm Jumeirah
Palm Jumeirah, a man-made island located on Dubai’s coastline, can also be glimpsed from the Karman Line.
With the help of an 800 mm camera lens, this row of palm tree-shaped islands can be seen clearly from the ISS which orbits at an altitude of around 400 km above sea level.
4. The Dark Pyramid
According to a British astronomer named Tim Peake, he could see the large structure of the Giza Pyramids with an 800 mm lens. However, this building is not visible to the naked eye.
Meanwhile, former NASA astronaut and ISS commander, Leroy Chiao, revealed that the Giza Pyramids could be seen while he was in orbit of the International Space Station.
He said he had seen two large pyramids with the help of a telephoto camera and the naked eye which appeared as two small dots.
As for rumors about the Great Wall of China being visible from space, Chiao admitted that he could not see the wall when taking photos from space.
Likewise, Hadfield said in a tweet that he could not see the Great Wall of China in space because the structure of the wall was too narrow and followed the natural contours and colors of the surrounding natural environment.
That’s a row of man-made buildings that can be seen from space. Hopefully this will be useful information!
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2023-11-02 22:45:58
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