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15th Apr 2021

Google now lets you see what your part of Ireland looked like nearly 40 years ago

Rory Cashin

It is the biggest update to Google Earth since 2017.

Google Earth has had a massive update, uploading over 24 million satellite photos of every corner of the planet from the last 37 years, to create a new interactive 4D experience called Timelapse.

As a spokesperson from Google puts it:

“In the biggest update to Google Earth since 2017, you can now see our planet in an entirely new dimension – time. With Timelapse in Google Earth, 24 million satellite photos from the past 37 years have been compiled into an interactive 4D experience. Now anyone can watch time unfold and witness nearly four decades of planetary change.

Our planet has seen rapid environmental change in the past half-century – more than any other point in human history. Many of us have experienced these changes in our own communities; I myself was among the thousands of Californians evacuated from their homes during the state’s wildfires last year.

“For other people, the effects of climate change feel abstract and far away, like melting ice caps and receding glaciers. With Timelapse in Google Earth, we have a clearer picture of our changing planet right at our fingertips – one that shows not just problems but also solutions, as well as mesmerisingly beautiful natural phenomena that unfold over decades.”

Full info on how to use it can be found right here:

To check it out yourself, just head to g.co/Timelapse, and you can use the search bar to choose any location on the planet.

Google have also also uploaded over 800 Timelapse videos in both 2D and 3D for public at g.co/TimelapseVideos, as well as on YouTube.