“Buildings that Can Be Seen from Outer Space: Palm Jumeirah, Dark Pyramid, Three Gorges Dam, Bingham Canyon Mine”

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – A number of buildings can actually be seen from outer space. But the Chinese wall is not on the list.

Former Commander of the International Space Station (ISS), Chris Hadfield said that the Great Wall of China is too narrow to be seen from space. In addition, the building also follows the natural contours and colors of its geography.

But there are some buildings that astronauts can see directly from space, he said. This can be done without any assistance alias with the naked eye.

For information, the outer space region refers to the Karman Line which is the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space. Its location is 100 kilometers above the surface of the Earth.

Here’s a list of buildings that can be seen from space easily:

1. Palm Jumeirah Dubai

This artificial island in Dubai can be seen clearly from the Karman Line by NASA. Astronauts on the ISS can also see it using an 800 mm lens. The ISS itself orbits at a height of about 400 km above sea level.

2. The Dark Pyramid

There are two opposing opinions on this matter. British astronaut Tim Peake claims that the building cannot be seen even though the massive structure can be seen clearly with an 800mm lens.

But former NASA astronaut and ISS commander Leroy Chiao has a different opinion. He said he could see the pyramids while in orbit.

“There is a lot to see from the ISS, even with the naked eye,” he said. “For example having found a large pyramid by telephoto and being able to pick out the two large ones with the naked eye, as long as the lighting and weather conditions are good, as two small dots”

3. Three Gorges Dam

The giant dam on China’s Yangtze River can be seen from space. The Three Gorges Dam is 185 meters high and more than 2 km long.

The building is the world’s largest electricity-generating facility, and has been called the most expensive hydroelectric dam ever built.

4. Bingham Canyon Mine

The mine, located 32 km southeast of Salt Lake City, is also said to be clearly visible in space. Called Bingham Canyon, it can be seen from the Karman Line without any tools, as well as from a shuttle flying 305-531 km above sea level.