This is sometimes done in emergency situations - such as when an area has been hit by a natural disaster and new images would be of valuable assistance to the recovery and relief efforts. However, Google and its image providers do have the ability to rapidly integrate new images into the program. Driving the news: Tuesday is the best day to see Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus and Mars line up near the moon, NASA astronomer Bill Cooke told the AP. Look to the sky this week for a rare chance to see five planets lined up for a parade of planets or planetary alignment. The images are acquired by satellites, processed by commercial image providers or government agencies, and then updated to the Google Earth image database in batches. 2 days ago &0183 &32 Photo: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images. Large cities generally have more recent and higher resolution images than sparsely inhabited areas.Ī misconception exists among some people that the images displayed in the Google Earth program are live-updated directly from satellites. Most of the images in Google Earth were acquired within the past three years, and Google is continuously updating the image set for different parts of the Earth. Hope you enjoy! Recent Images, Updated Regularly We are simply enthusiastic users of the Google Earth product. We frequently use Google Earth for research, learning, and fun! We receive no compensation from Google for recommending their service. The button above takes you to the Google website where you can download Google Earth software for free.

Google earth view map over time