# (Primarily EuroTrash) WOW! First one to guess wins (what it is) wins . . . . **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 4, 2003, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856 "2003-08-04T09:35:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/1 "2003-08-04T09:35:45Z")
. . . two hours playtime with Matron, locked in the nice room with no windows and bouncy wallpaper. So, what on earth is this . . . . ? [Managable file size](http://members.lycos.co.uk/callinglondon/small.htm) [Friggin enormous file size](http://members.lycos.co.uk/callinglondon/large.htm) (The squiggly line under the main glow makes it easier, I think). ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/2 "2003-08-04T09:49:05Z")
Well, it’s a city a night from above, that much I can guess. Looks like Paris, judging by the shape of the light patterns and the river in the upper right corner. ---
**Author:** ![Biba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Biba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biba)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/3 "2003-08-04T09:54:29Z")
I’d guess it’s the M25 taken from very, very high up. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/4 "2003-08-04T09:55:24Z")
London - the squiggly line is the [M25]([www.lordship.co.uk/](http://www.lordship.co.uk/) img/m25.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/5 "2003-08-04T09:59:46Z")
Yep, from something called the ‘ISS’, I belive. I assume that’s the International Space Station . . . . all very Thunderbirds. The faint line cutting across the corner at bottom right is the Channel coast and the glow below the M25 is Gatwick. Pretty cool, though. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/6 "2003-08-04T10:13:22Z")
The Blocky illuminated shape centred about a third up from the bottom is Gatwick airport, Heathrow airport is visible as a blocky shape just inside the leftmost limit of the squiggly line. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/7 "2003-08-04T10:26:20Z")
Okay **Mangetout** , I’ll bite. What is it about bed frames that reminds you of the M25 – and try not to make it to sordid ? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/8 "2003-08-04T11:02:13Z")
Oh scruttocks - that was supposed to be a link to [this](http://www.lordship.co.uk/img/m25.jpg) image - I copied it out of the google image search results, but Google inserted a space in the URL. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/9 "2003-08-04T11:03:45Z")
I recognised the image immediately of course because the squiggly line is (of course) the sigil _Odegra_. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/10 "2003-08-04T12:15:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \* > The faint line cutting across the corner at bottom right is the Channel coast… Hastings? The bright patch between there and the city will be Tunbridge Wells (not normally known for being bright), but what’s that small, really bright dot at one o’clock from there? ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/11 "2003-08-04T12:22:10Z")
Yep, I thought it Hastings or Eastbourne . . . . you can see another fainter town a very few miles to the west . And even the northern fringes of Brighton (if you follow the thin sliver of the M23 past Gatwick tot he edge). As for the other big town in kent (there’s only one visible), given it’s position, I’d imagine it has to be Tunbridge Wells. Funny, the more I look, the more I recognise; Crawley, Haywards Heath, even where I was born and grew up . . . ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/12 "2003-08-04T12:25:30Z")
Friggin enormous file size: 907 KB. The uncompressed bitmap is 2 MB so that’s close to no compression. You can compress that photo down to 100 KB and still have pretty good quality. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/13 "2003-08-04T12:35:56Z")
**everton** - Sorry, didn’t quire read you correctly. The small bright light looks to be dead on the Motorway running between the M25 and Dover (M2, I think) . . . I don’t know waht it is, though. A little curious, actually. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/14 "2003-08-04T12:44:01Z")
My WAG: Kentish children burning tyres. One thing’s for sure though – ARP Warden Hodges would be doing his nut if he saw that picture. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/15 "2003-08-04T12:45:35Z")
😃 Excellent ! Just don’t tell him your name, Pike. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/16 "2003-08-04T17:25:21Z")
[I have overlayed the photo with a map of the area](http://www.geocities.com/monroe1809/download/Lon.htm). The result is a bit messy because the photo was not take from the vertical and the maps are not that precise so a little distorting was necessary.; ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/17 "2003-08-04T22:22:45Z")
Too cool **sailor**. Makes me want to visit Britian again. Looks like party-time in the West End. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/18 "2003-08-04T22:40:51Z")
See the [11 Apr 2003 Astronomy Picture of the Day](http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030411.html) for more information. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/19 "2003-08-04T23:07:44Z")
Firstly, that’s damn impressive **sailor**. Well done ! Second, glad there’s no copyright notice on that NASA page, **Achernar**. . . .interesting though, seems the shot was taken with a regular digital camera from the ISS. Good link, cheers! Nice mention of Hyde and Regents Park. Ain’t that something . . . I think this is the best shot I’ve seen of London from space. Very cool indeed. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856/20 "2003-08-05T00:16:53Z")
I agree, that’s great work **sailor**. It doesn’t solve my mystery but it shows some other interesting details. The black patches just west of centre are the two big parks alright and the large dark area away from the centre at eight o’clock must be Richmond Park/Wimbledon Common. The bright patch just east of central London is Canary Wharf etc. (you can see the loop of the river below). It’s weird that you can even pick out individual runways at Heathrow. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primarily-eurotrash-wow-first-one-to-guess-wins-what-it-is-wins/192856.md?page=2)