Astronauts traveling in Low Earth Orbit or on board the International Space Station can see quite a bit using nothing but their naked eye. Here are 4 man-made structures they have seen from space, one myth debunked and one surprising site spotted from the top of Burj Khalifa.
1. The Ancient Pyramids of Giza
Space Station astronauts have said the ancient Pyramids of Giza in Egypt are relatively easy to see out their window like in the below picture taken by the Italian astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti from the International Space Station. Look for the triangular shadows.
2. Roads & Bridges
According to astronauts, roads and bridges are the most visible from space. Their features stand out as straight lines on the landscape, like on these images of desert roads and the San Fransisco Bay shared by the astronaut, Chris Hadfield. Credit: Chris Hadfield
3. City lights
At night, cities are visible from space because of the light they produce – like in this picture of Dubai’s city lights. Credit: NASA
4. The islands of Dubai
The islands of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates were captured by astronaut Chris Hadfield from space.
5. The Great Wall of China
Nope-they’ve had you tricked! It is a just a myth, you can’t see the Great Wall of China from space – as confirmed by the Appolo astronauts. Nothing there.
Credit: NASA
Not quite on space level, but aren’t you curious to find out what is visible from the top of the Burj Khalifa?
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