Jakarta – A number of giant buildings on Earth are visible from outer space. Even some can be seen without the help of any lens, or only with the naked eye.
Reported from detikINET, a former Commander at the International Space Station (ISS), Chris Hadfield, said that a number of buildings on Earth can indeed be seen directly by astronauts from outer space. However, he said that the building of the giant wall of China which was said to be visible to outer space was not proven.
Hadfield confirmed this and said in a tweet that the Great Wall of China was “too narrow + follows the natural contour & color” of geography.
The outer space region itself can be defined using the Karman Line, which is the boundary between the Earth’s atmosphere and outer space. The name of this line comes from Theodore von Karman. Its location is 100 kilometers above the surface of the Earth.
Then what can be seen from that distance? Here’s the list, quoted from CNBC:
1. Bingham Canyon Mine
Bingham Canyon Mine is a mining site located about 32 km southeast of Salt Lake City. The mine is so large that it is not only visible from the unaided Karman Line but also from NASA space shuttles flying between 305-531 km above sea level.
2. Palm Jumeirah Dubai
NASA claims Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah can be seen from the Karman Line. Even International Space Station (ISS) astronauts can clearly see the stretch of artificial island using an 800mm lens. For information, the ISS orbits with an average altitude of 400 km above sea level.
3. The Dark Pyramid
Especially for the Pyramids of Giza there is debate whether they can be seen or not from outer space. British astronaut Tim Peake said he couldn’t but see the massive structure clearly through an 800mm lens. Meanwhile, former NASA astronaut and ISS commander, Leroy Chiao 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.”
4. Three Gorges Dam
The dam that spans China’s Yangtze River is revealed by NASA to be visible from space. It is 185 meters high and more than 2 km long, according to the France 24 report. The dam is the world’s largest electricity-producing facility. The Three Gorges Dam is called the most expensive hydroelectric dam ever built.
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