back to article Bigfoot now visible in commercial satellite images

Last March the USA noticed a market disparity: French companies could sell higher-resolution satellite images than American companies. By June of the same year bans on US companies selling sharper space snaps were lifted. And last week the US company agitating for that change, DigitalGlobe, started to sell 30cm-resolution snaps …

  1. Alister

    Does this mean I can zoom in even further in Google Maps??

    1. Steve I

      Maybe, maybe not. But you'll be able to say to Dominos 'That's was never an 18" pizza you delivered - it was 12", tops!"

    2. phuzz Silver badge
      Headmaster

      The highest level of detail on most mapping services is usually photographs taken from aircraft, rather than satellites.

      Although only populated areas get the high-res treatment, that said, after a few minutes of looking, I've not found anywhere that only has satelite pictures, even this tiny road junction in Algeria seems to have an impressive level of detail.

      Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go travel the world from my desk.

      1. AndyS

        Algeria

        That's impressive resolution for a dusty road in Africa, but it's probably still a satellite image. Resolution has typically been around 1m for Google Earth satellite images for a while, which is probably around what that image is.

        1m: Basic shape of a car is visible

        0.3m: details like sunroofs, people standing around the car etc become obvious

        For comparison, check out this aerial shot from the centre of Edinburgh:

        https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ll=55.94584,-3.194669&spn=0.000429,0.000868&t=h&z=21

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Just an update would be nice on Google maps

      I live in Greater Manchester. The aerial photos of my local town centre on Google maps are over 10 years old, so maybe they could buy some of these new images and update their maps from pre-2005! (having said that, twice a year they update streetview images for the cul-de-sac I live on!)

      1. Roland6 Silver badge

        Re: Just an update would be nice on Google maps

        > The aerial photos of my local town centre on Google maps are over 10 years old

        I'm wondering when Google will launch a google maps with historical satellite/aerial overlays.

  2. Tom 7

    What's the market for this?

    If I wanted photos of my own land then it would be far far cheaper to buy a drone and take my own.

    Just wondering who pays for this level of snooping?

    1. Annihilator

      Re: What's the market for this?

      I think it's in the region of $20 per square km, so you'd need a lot of land before buying your own drone became more cost effective.

      1. illiad

        Re: What's the market for this?

        It depends whether you want the 'gmap' version - a year ago, if you are lucky, 3 years ago if not!!

        Drones are not that expensive, and you can use them more than once!!! :)

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What's the market for this?

      People who want a picture of land they can't get to and fly a drone over because they are too far away?

    3. F0rdPrefect

      Re: What's the market for this?

      I suppose that depends on where you live.

      Here in the UK, the fines for flying near buildings and many other things would make it quite expensive.

  3. zaax

    So that's Google earth then

  4. Jim 59

    Planes

    Privacy? DigitalGlobe's heard of it and thinks-

    Lol.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    30 cm?

    Well, I'm now a little concerned that, at that resolution, my chap will now be visible from space. Only on warmer days though.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

      1. Little Mouse

        Re: 30 cm?

        Hadvar presumably also has a big foot, like the author.

        And on hot days he wears sandals or goes totally shoeless.

  6. Amorous Cowherder
    Black Helicopters

    I can't begin to imagine how many hoops this company have to jump through for governments who need to make certain areas "disappear".

  7. Stoneshop
    Boffin

    Bigfoot?

    30 cm is just a regular foot (within less than 2 percent)

    1. stucs201

      Re: Bigfoot?

      Its the wierd units confusing them. To clarify things we're talking about a resolution of 2.1429 Linguine.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

  8. Bartek

    lets have a new word SatSelfie

    And You heard it first on the reg

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    my house is easy to spot

    it's the one with the outline of the big ol' middle finger on it. Working on the ol' two finger for those of you across the pond

    Or that could be a an annoying co-worker's roof...

  10. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    Meh

    Not so impressive

    A few years ago, in a moment of boredom my sister used google earth to look at my house, then sent me the screengrab. I was quite surprised that it even showed the pathetic awning thingy over the back door - at only 950mm x 750mm. I was especially impressed considering it had been 'edited' by a winter storm a couple of years beforehand.

    P.S.

    I like to imagine that some evil google machine is totally locked up trying to work out why a major commercial electrical contractor was investigating a domestic location over 80 miles away :)

  11. Someone Else Silver badge
    FAIL

    Oh...THAT, again...?

    Privacy? DigitalGlobe's heard of it [...]

    ...and summarily rejected it as an impediment to "increasing shareholder value".

  12. phil dude
    Coat

    rude QR codes from space....

    You heard it here first!!

    P.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Excellent news

    The local councils will be able to find the potholes they've apparently been unable to locate...

    1. illiad

      Re: Excellent news

      potholes??? WHAT potholes??? the newest image I have seen around London is about 6 months old...

  14. razorfishsl

    Terrorists can also use technology

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