Information about Google Earth 5.0

Internet search giant Google has launched Google Earth 5.0 that will allow users to swim through undersea canyons as deep as the Mariana Trench and encounter creatures like endangered prehistoric fishes. The new version marks a significant upgrade to Google Earth, a popular software programme that provides access to the world's geographical information through digital maps, satellite imagery and the company's search tools.

Google Earth 5.0 takes data from over 80 organisations, including the US Navy, the National Geographic Society and the Marine Conservation society to provide maps of the underwater sections of the earth, including undersea mountains, shipwrecks and the deepest part of the planet.

Google Earth

Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographic information program that was originally called Earth Viewer, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a company acquired by Google in 2004. It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS 3D globe. It is available under three different licenses: Google Earth, a free version with limited functionality; Google Earth Plus (discontinued), which included additional features; and Google Earth Pro ($400 per year), which is intended for commercial use.

Available in 41 languages, Google Earth has been downloaded more than 500 million times since its launch. Google Inc has updated its online map of the world to add the more than two- thirds of the planet that lies underwater and provide a way to view changes to glaciers and other geography over time.

Google Earth 5.0, offers users a virtual dive beneath the waves, allowing them to explore ocean beds, marine life and even shipwrecks.


Explore oceans

Google Earth 5.0 lets users plunge beneath the ocean's surface, explore three-dimensional images of the underwater terrain and view articles and videos about marine science contributed by scientists and organisations such as the National Geographic Society.

Users can explore the ocean with marine experts, including National Geographic. Learn about ocean observations, climate change, and endangered species. Also, discover new places including surf, dive, and travel hotspots and shipwrecks.

Touring

Google Earth 5 is the ability to record your journeys. The “touring” feature, as Google calls it, allows you to create and upload movies so others can follow your explorations. Just click the new camera icon in the Google Earth toolbar to begin recording. From there it isn’t hard to create a 3D account of your recent road trip around the country or simply plan an upcoming trip. There’s even a voice recording option which allows you to narrate your journey, though be aware that there’s no editing or separate audio options — you need to get your voiceover right in a single take, in real-time.

Historical imagery

The Historical Imagery feature lets users see archive satellite images of individual locations to see how the region has evolved over time as a result of climate change and other forces. For example, viewers can observe how the largest glacier in Glacier National Park has melted over the past decade.

The new "timeline" feature allows a user to view a succession of satellite images of the same location over the years, tracking changes to the environment. Users can see the impact of recent trends like suburban sprawl or global warming. They can also set the length of time and the exact location that they want to see.


Google Mars 3D

Google Earth 5 included a separate map of Mars that could be viewed. The maps are of a much higher resolution than those on the browser version of Google Mars and it also includes 3D renderings of the Martian terrain. There are also some extremely high resolution images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's HiRISE camera that are of a similar resolution to those of the cities on Earth. Finally, there are many high resolution panoramic images from various Mars landers, such as the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, that can be viewed in a similar way to Google Street View

The Mars mode provides high-resolution views of the planet and enables users to virtually fly through canyons and scale mountains on Mars, according to NASA. Users can also explore the planet through the eyes of the Mars rovers. The new version also allows users to create narrated tours of places using the software's content and images.

Introduced in version 5.0, Historical Imagery allows users to traverse back in time and study earlier stages of any place. This feature is very useful for research purposes that require analysis of past records of various places.