Google Maps

[presta]

They've just redone the aerial photos here in the last few days, and the sun's so low in the sky they're bordering on useless. The only surfaces with any light on are the south facing sides of pitched rooves, with everything else in deep black shadow, north facing slopes are even worse.

I've just noticed they've reduced the maximum zoom level too, so that you can't get the same resolution any more.

 

[Beebo]

They've just redone the aerial photos here in the last few days, and the sun's so low in the sky they're bordering on useless. The only surfaces with any light on are the south facing sides of pitched rooves, with everything else in deep black shadow, north facing slopes are even worse.

I've just noticed they've reduced the maximum zoom level too, so that you can't get the same resolution any more.

The quality does seem to vary depending on where you are.
Remote rural Scotland always seems much worse than densely populated cities.

You can access the historic views too.

 

[markemark]

They use low flying aircraft for populated areas to get high resolution images. In rural areas they revert to satellite images bought from satellite companies.

 

[Electric_Andy]

The last photo here was Jul 2022. I wonder how often they do it? Anyway, the most recent and all the others are all bright and clear

 

[Alex321]

Funnily, I was looking at our area yesterday, and the lates are January 2025, so within the last 3 weeks!

That appears to be the case for most if not all of the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff.

 

[HMS_Dave]

In my area they first drove around with stalker cam in 2009. They didn't bother returning until 2024.

I doubt it have anything to do with me cutting my grass naked...

 

[sheddy]

What3words may have a better zoom

 

[presta]

Someone must have noticed and complained, they've just redone it, and it's now back to normal.

 

[Electric_Andy]

It's very strange, we are trying to look on G Maps for historic satelite images of our house. Some from 10 years ago are as good as they get. 5 years ago it looks like the image was taken with a mouldy cabbage, and then 2 years later it's back to reasonable. You'd think that every passing year would yeild a better image, but I guess it's hard to fit a new camera lens to a satellite

 

[FishFright]

It's very strange, we are trying to look on G Maps for historic satelite images of our house. Some from 10 years ago are as good as they get. 5 years ago it looks like the image was taken with a mouldy cabbage, and then 2 years later it's back to reasonable. You'd think that every passing year would yeild a better image, but I guess it's hard to fit a new camera lens to a satellite

The good quality views are taken from planes .

 

[Ming the Merciless]

You'd think that every passing year would yeild a better image, but I guess it's hard to fit a new camera lens to a satellite

No need, as the satellite orbit decays it gets closer, and the effective zoom increases..

 

[matticus]

No need, as the satellite orbit decays it gets closer, and the effective zoom increases..

Cool. So if we get lucky, one will crash - on, just for example, Great Yarmouth - and everywhere in a stripe upstream across England (and possibly some of Wales) will get reeeeeeally great photos!

 

[markemark]

The good quality views are taken from planes .

The vast majority is done by planes, certainly above any human habitation in the U.K.

 

[presta]

we are trying to look on G Maps for historic satelite images of our house

How do you do that? I can see how to get previous street views, but not the satellite ones (my street views were done in 2009, 2019 & 2024).

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Cool. So if we get lucky, one will crash - on, just for example, Great Yarmouth - and everywhere in a stripe upstream across England (and possibly some of Wales) will get reeeeeeally great photos!

It’ll still be Great Yarmouth unfortunately