The view from above

Posted by Shae on November 06, 2003

In Reply to: The view from above posted by ESC on November 06, 2003

: : : : : Hi folks! I got into a discussion with a colleague of mine on whether the Great Wall of China was visible from the moon or not.
: : : : : can someone please confirm if I am right or not

: : : : : Ans while we are at it Shakespear said "To be or not to be"
: : : : : "be" what???? and is this phrase from "As you like it"?

: : : : a) It's *not* visible to the naked eye from the surface of the moon - not by a long chalk.

: : : : b) "To be" in this case means "to exist". That is, whether to live or not.

: : : : c) It's from Hamlet, not As You Like It.

: : : Astronauts *can* see the Great Wall with the naked eye when they are orbiting the earth. I have occasionally heard it said that the wall is the only human achievement visitble from space. Perhaps that's where your friend got the idea it was visible from the moon.

: : Here's a fun site -- terraserver-usa.com/ I was able to find an aerial view of my current home and my old homeplace on White Oak Mountain.

: Hmmm. That address isn't working. Trying new one.
: www.terraserver.com/

According to astronauts, the Great Wall is not visible to the unaided eye at heights greater than 180 miles above the surface.

www.vibrationdata.com/ space/greatwall.htm