# Share your GoogleEarth 'what is that?'
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [March 5, 2006, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190 "2006-03-05T23:05:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2006, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/1 "2006-03-05T23:05:52Z")
I was going to post a question in GQ, then thought better of it and said - hey, we’ve all done this: you’re bored, you’re poking around with Google Maps, checking out how things look from the sky…then you pause, squint a little bit, and wonder what in Thor’s name are you seeing? (by “we’ve all done it,” of course, I mean I’ve done it and I now I’ve seen a few other similar questions posted here).
Mine’s right [here](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Wright-Patterson+Air+Force+Base&t=h&ll=39.774827,-84.117723&spn=0.005912,0.014849&t=h). It’s just south of the National Air Force Museum, which is on Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio. If you’re interested in planes and happen to find yourself in Dayton, I recommend it. Anyway, two things in the picture have me curious. One: that…thing carved out of the grass at the bottom, that looks vaugely like it ought to be on the power button of my laptop.
Two: That…thing, up on the concrete (that I think was once a taxiway to the runway). [Here’s a closer look](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Wright-Patterson+Air+Force+Base&t=h&ll=39.776794,-84.117401&spn=0.002956,0.007424&t=h). It looks like it could be ‘masking’ whatever’s actually on the ground there, for ‘security purposes’, but I don’t recall seeing anything else like that before.
So, shall we share mysteries?
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### Author:  [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/2 "2006-03-05T23:20:24Z")
The thing on the concrete is a setup for calibrating cameras used for aerial photography - The same cameras used to take that picture.
The more southern part is for adjusting contrast and the more northern has to do with resolution… I think. I don’t recall what it’s actual use is.
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### Author:  [@Armilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Armilla)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2006, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/3 "2006-03-05T23:25:46Z")
[This thing](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Wright-Patterson+Air+Force+Base&t=k&ll=51.471874,-0.433378&spn=0.001053,0.002827&t=k) at Heathrow airport.
I figure it’s either a mock-up to practice firefighting on, or the strange offspring of the forbdden love between an F-104 Starfighter and an Airbus.
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### Author:  [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/4 "2006-03-06T00:26:36Z")
[X marks the spot](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=clearwater,+fl&t=h&ll=27.997404,-82.739689&spn=0.004187,0.010729&t=h)
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### Author:  [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/5 "2006-03-06T00:29:48Z")
> [@LunaV](#):
>
> [X marks the spot](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=clearwater,+fl&t=h&ll=27.997404,-82.739689&spn=0.004187,0.010729&t=h)
Just wait until the alien invasion comes - this place will be the first to go. They built it for target practice.
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### Author:  [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/6 "2006-03-06T04:08:33Z")
If you think that X marks the spot place is wacky from above…
It’s a HUGE retirement community, each building is themed, seriously, THEMED. Note the street names. Jeb Bush spoke there, most politicians do. It is a huge place and distinctive in that in all the years it’s been there, they have never had a condo assessment, and it is pretty immaculately maintained, pretty cheap and you can play golf for free. However, the weirdness factor is hard to deal with. A few years ago, you could buy a unit for about $55k.
It’s called Top Of The World. It’s like visiting a theme park.
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/7 "2006-03-06T04:45:57Z")
> [@Auntbeast](#):
>
> If you think that X marks the spot place is wacky from above…
>
> It’s a HUGE retirement community, each building is themed, seriously, THEMED. Note the street names. Jeb Bush spoke there, most politicians do. It is a huge place and distinctive in that in all the years it’s been there, they have never had a condo assessment, and it is pretty immaculately maintained, pretty cheap and you can play golf for free. However, the weirdness factor is hard to deal with. A few years ago, you could buy a unit for about $55k.
>
> It’s called Top Of The World. It’s like visiting a theme park.
If you zoom in all the way on that photo, you can see some of what **Auntbeast** is talking about. It kind of looks like some of the buildings have something like a rooftile canopy over the front pavement, and there’s at least one that looks like it might have a “castle” facade, with end and center towers and crenellations on top of the front walls. Oh, and can’t forget the one that looks like it has a HoJo orange roof entry on each end.
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/8 "2006-03-06T05:18:07Z")
> [@Armilla](#):
>
> [This thing](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Wright-Patterson+Air+Force+Base&t=k&ll=51.471874,-0.433378&spn=0.001053,0.002827&t=k) at Heathrow airport.
>
> I figure it’s either a mock-up to practice firefighting on, or the strange offspring of the forbdden love between an F-104 Starfighter and an Airbus.
I think you’re probably correct about it being a firefighting mockup.
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### Author:  [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/9 "2006-03-06T05:27:39Z")
I’ll try and ride by this place to figure out what it really is, but from the photo it looks like someone tried to build a stadium with a river running through the middle of it.
https://maps.google.com/maps?f=&t=k&ll=35.692184,139.847513&spn=0.007825,0.014441&t=k
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/10 "2006-03-06T05:28:17Z")
Can you work out what [this thing](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Wright-Patterson+Air+Force+Base&t=k&ll=35.491093,139.835315&spn=0.008456,0.021629&t=k) in the middle of Tokyo Bay is?
If you want the answer, look [here](http://www.penta-ocean.co.jp/english/works/work_data02_08.html).
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/11 "2006-03-06T05:43:41Z")
> [@1920s Style "Death Ray"](#):
>
> I think you’re probably correct about it being a firefighting mockup.
Yes, it is, and it’s a rather disconcerting to see, halfway through take-off!
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### Author:  [@Armilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Armilla)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/12 "2006-03-06T12:17:04Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#):
>
> Yes, it is, and it’s a rather disconcerting to see, halfway through take-off!
Damn, that’s a shame. I had in mind the image of an F-104, in the twilight of its years, stealing one night of passion with a much younger Airbus. Years later the child would go on a search for its father in an attempt to explain why it felt the urge to both ferry passengers along established commuter routes and fire a sidewinder up the tailpipe of a Chinese MiG.
They could make a movie of it or something.
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### Author:  [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/13 "2006-03-06T16:56:44Z")
> [@Sublight](#):
>
> I’ll try and ride by this place to figure out what it really is, but from the photo it looks like someone tried to build a stadium with a river running through the middle of it.
>
> [Google Maps](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=&t=k&ll=35.692184,139.847513&spn=0.007825,0.014441&t=k)
WAG: a divided bridge (eg, one ‘branch’ goes east-\>west, the other the opposite).
Or…a car test track, inexplicably plopped over a river.
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### Author:  [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/14 "2006-03-06T17:09:58Z")
Here are a few of my favorites:
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=30.101509,-97.140770&spn=0.244789,0.292168&t=k&hl=en
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=32.171617,-110.854712&spn=0.010579,0.015171&t=k&hl=en
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=36.848702,-76.295650&spn=0.005289,0.007585&t=k&hl=en
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.068496,-122.097706&spn=0.005289,0.007585&t=k&hl=en
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### Author:  [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/15 "2006-03-06T17:41:00Z")
I’ve always wanted to see what this very weird [crater in Siberia](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=russia&ll=57.579933,134.663544&spn=0.421138,1.560059&t=h) looks like up close and personal.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/16 "2006-03-06T17:47:43Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#):
>
> Or…a car test track, inexplicably plopped over a river.
I like this theory. It’s not ‘inexplicable’ in the context of a city as crowded as Tokyo, and appears to have an outdoor (offroad?) section to the east.
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### Author:  [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/17 "2006-03-06T19:42:20Z")
> [@Dorjän](#):
>
> I’ve always wanted to see what this very weird [crater in Siberia](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=russia&ll=57.579933,134.663544&spn=0.421138,1.560059&t=h) looks like up close and personal.
Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t wait until the whole world is photographed in full detail. Daily updates would be cool too.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/18 "2006-03-06T20:27:10Z")
https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=1703%2BGreenSpring%2BValley%2BRd,%2BStevenson,%2BMaryland%2B21153&ll=39.421807,-76.707487&spn=0.003477,0.007886&t=h
It’s a [corn maze](http://www.mazeplay.com/showmaze.php?maze=32)!
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### Author:  [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/19 "2006-03-06T20:34:46Z")
Not sure what this is:
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=33.626341,-106.591072&spn=0.079473,0.082912&t=k
Massive reflection or giant white square something?
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-googleearth-what-is-that/347190/20 "2006-03-06T20:52:51Z")
> [@Dorjän](#):
>
> Massive reflection or giant white square something?
I’m thinking “giant solar collector”.
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