I’ve been playing around with Google Maps (maps.google.com) in the satellite view.  I’ve notice some interesting things:

1)     Go to a close-up of the Capital Building in Washington, DC.  Notice anything unusual about it (compared to the surrounding area).

2)     Check out “ground zero” at the World Trade Center site.  You can see what appear to be construction trailers on the site.

3)     Meteor Crater in northern Arizona.  Can you see what look like smaller craters in the immediate vicinity?  If the meteor/asteroid started disintegrating just before impact it would make sense that other, smaller impact craters would be created.

4)     Cloud cover obliterates Mount Rushmore while you can clearly see all the roads and parking areas next to it.

5)     It seems that many of the satellite photos were taken either early in the morning or late in the afternoon.  You can tell by the shadows cast by the Statue of Liberty and the Washington Monument.

6)     How close can you zero in on “Area 51” in Nevada?

Tools like this one can bring out the voyeur in us.  Kind of like a “Where’s Waldo” for the masses.  Who can be the first to find a satellite view of a car accident or building fire in progress?