In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Google Earth is set to launch a new feature that incorporates historical Street View imagery. The Mountain View tech company marked this milestone on June 10 by introducing the capability to view neighborhoods and landscapes as they appeared in different years, a feature already available in Google Maps since last September.
Google Earth Marks Two Decades
Google announced the new feature in a blog post, highlighting that “Today, we’re celebrating this milestone birthday by bringing historical Street View imagery to Google Earth.” This addition allows users to explore various regions of the globe from different points in time, offering both street and aerial perspectives.
This feature, which enables users to delve into the geographical changes over the past 80 years, was designed to enhance the understanding of how environmental factors such as climate change and human influence impact terrains like forests and lakes. The Maps version has gained traction on social media, as many users have taken this opportunity to revisit childhood locations.
Additionally, Google Earth on Maps offers a Timelapse mode, which provides a visual slideshow of area changes over time. This interactive experience has been constructed using millions of satellite images.
Furthermore, Google is set to launch Gemini-powered AI-driven insights for Google Earth Pro users. This upcoming feature will enable users to pose natural language questions about geographical data, such as the total coverage of tree canopies on Earth. According to the tech giant, this feature will be rolled out in the coming weeks.
