Jump to content

Google Satellite Imagery Updates


flipper

Recommended Posts

I was looking at Google Maps at the area around the Palladium Theater and along Grand Parkway and noticed that when I am zoomed in sufficiently on "map" mode, the thumbnail for "earth" mode (which is satellite imagery) on the bottom left corner of my screen shows a more updated satellite imagery than whats shown when I actually click the "earth" button.

 

Both Google Earth and Google Maps with Satellite Imagery show imagery dated October 2012 for most of this area. Looking at the imagery in the thumbnail, it looks to be from October 2013 (or so I assume based on various developments not being quite December 2013 developed).

 

Here are some items that I see in the thumbnail, which are not currently shown in Google Earth or Google Maps Satellite view:

-- The new Long Meadow Farms development behind the Palladium and south of Beechnut.

-- Grand Mission Estates shows houses in the sections south of Mason/Bellaire (2012 imagery shows just roads and dirt in place of where houses now stand).

-- Grand Parkway overpasses are shown nearly complete at Belfort, Mason, Harlem, 1464/90, New Territory

-- Grand Parkway overpass at Riverpark now has concrete surface leading up to and away from the overpass that was built last year. 2012 imagery has the asphault(?) base without the concrete overlay.

-- New Belfort extension from Waterview Estates to Harlem

-- Extended S Mason Rd between (just south of) Grand Parkway, through Long Meadow Farms, up to FM 359 is now shown as either completed or with ground cleared (previously it was just a 2 lane road or just grass).

-- Neighborhood streets in new sections in various parts of the maps.

 

There is a jagged north-south seam (dark vs light) in the thumbnail shot for what seems to be a difference in imagery between Oct 2013/2012 at around Peek Rd, and I followed it north as far as the Houston Premium Outlets in Cypress and south to southwest freeway. It continues well past in both directions but I didn't care to continue further. I could not tell how far east the new imagery lasted, but I briefly looked at some areas I know of recent development on West Sam Houston Tollway, and I didn't see anything updated.

-- due to this "seam", only a portion of Grand Pkwy Segment E is shown, which is just north of Clay Rd, and through the parts that coincide with Stockdick School road up to approximately FM 529. As the road veers slightly west, it is no longer on the new side of the seam, and so the 99/290 interchange is not visible (according to Google Earth, this imagery is dated April 2012 so there is very very little development shown here).

 

--Additionally it looks like some of the on/off ramps at Clay Rd and FM 529 are starting to be drawn in on the maps view. So maybe the editors have activated the new imagery so it can be traced to show the Segment E that just opened??

 

I have attached the following, with various 2013 thumbnails superimposed over the 2012 screenshots. The thumbnails are very small and so you have to look very closely for the differences. Also, the zoom levels vary between all of the screenshots and thumbnails, so nothing is to scale, nor is it intended to be. I just threw this together to quickly share what I have seen.

 

1. A Google Earth screenshot of the 77407 zip code area with the October 2012 dates circled. Google Maps Satellite imagery is the same as this.

 

post-11790-0-09952000-1387840393_thumb.p

 

2. Google Maps Satellite screenshot of the Grand Pkwy / US 90 alternate area.

 

post-11790-0-52432800-1387840395_thumb.p

 

3. Grand Parkway Segment E between Clay Rd and FM 529. I'd like to point out that the thumbnail near Clay Rd only shows the north part of the overpass as completed, because this overpass is right on the seam between 2012/2013 imagery and it blends together very nicely, making it seem as if this overpass is incomplete. Look at this one carefully, its kind of cool.

 

post-11790-0-74748500-1387840396_thumb.p

 

4. A zoomed out thumbnail to show the jagged boundary between 2012/2013 imagery.

 

post-11790-0-24727200-1387840397.jpg

 

I assume that this is just a first pass of loading the new imagery, and Google is working on blending this imagery with the old imagery to make it look as seamless as the rest of the maps. Or maybe they are still loading imagery to the west, as there has been alot of development with the rest of Grand Pkwy, as well as the west side of Katy up to Fulshear.

 

I also assume that the "updated" imagery will be loaded soon when Google finishes blending the images together, and will also be used to trace over to show new roads.

 

I don't know how long any of this will be continue to be shown, but I have created the attachements to show what it looks like right now. All of this can either go away back to the

 

*** Also note that I am using the "new" Google Maps website that was released in recent months. The "old" version didn't show a thumbnail of the Earth/Satellite view, as far as I am aware. So if you do not see what I am looking at, you probably are using the old version, which is the default***

 

 

 

Edited by nolaboy
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Imagery is now live on the Google maps mobile app. It is not updated on the website yet. ExxonMobil's campus looks great in the updates. You can see the surrounding areas clearing ground. You can also see ground clearance for Grand Pkwy Segment F2.

 

qepugeby.jpg

Edited by nolaboy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, the Houston area imagery is on the verge of updating for other things? Very cool!

Some things I'm checking out now:

- The Barker Cypress loops are done.

- The fast foods near Beltway 8 are completely gone, just mud pits. Glad I saw them when I did.

- Southwest Inn isn't gone, I heard it was demolished, but only the facade was. Most of the hotel is still intact.

- Montrose Fiesta is gone.

- Some cleared 290 ROW closest to Loop 610.

- More light rail built.

Hope to see it on other devices soon!

Edited by IronTiger
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Google maps has new satellite imagery (looks like Oct 2013 to me).  Stretches from across Houston out to about Mason road (part of the new 99 sneaks a little cameo in up north... otherwise it's not included).  A few of the more interesting things to check out...

 

1. Exxon Mobil campus & Spring Village construction - Nice mosaic on the parking garages

2. 610 between 290 and I-10 - wiiiiiiiiiiiide

3. Galleria / Uptown new build

4. Energy corridor new build

5. Airport terminal B

 

Great time waster at work.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was a thread on this already (merge?) but today it was added to things like Google Earth, regular Google Maps, and applications that use Google imagery. For some reason, the new imagery makes me a little depressed. No Macy's...they clear-cut the area at 290 and 1960...more mansard roof McDonald's gone...290 demolition has begun...and the imagery cuts off at around 99 and 290, so you can't see the new interchange there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Odd, I'm really not seeing what you guys see. Wish I did.

 

Edit: Based on Google, there has been no recent update? http://www.google.com/gadgets/directory?synd=earth&id=47347118232

 

If there is an update, I want to see the nearly finished Grand Parkway from I10 to 290.

 

Edit 2: Okay, don't know what I did, but I can at least view it in Google Maps now.

Edited by Triton
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

I have actually seen aircraft in some Google imagery, but as you zoom down on top them they disappear. There was an aircraft over the intersection of OST and Griggs for sometime, it is now gone. A larger passenger jet showed up over Mykawa and Dixie Dr. but it is no longer there either, and didn't stay posted for long.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I'm guessing others have noticed this, but just in case you haven't google street view now has a time lapse feature.  It was announced earlier in the week but didn't become active for Houston until the last couple of days.  Downtown and other major areas of course have the most available historical data (back to 2007).  2007 of course was pre-Ike so it can make for some interesting comparisons in places like Galveston...or of course in areas that have undergone significant development in the last 7 years

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm guessing others have noticed this, but just in case you haven't google street view now has a time lapse feature.  It was announced earlier in the week but didn't become active for Houston until the last couple of days.  Downtown and other major areas of course have the most available historical data (back to 2007).  2007 of course was pre-Ike so it can make for some interesting comparisons in places like Galveston...or of course in areas that have undergone significant development in the last 7 years

Maybe I'm using a different version, but I have Street View on the old Foley's building, and I don't see it.

When the first Street View images came out, you could actually still see the F O L E Y ' S name (cast iron letters, IIRC?) on the building.

I do see that they updated the aerial imagery as well to this year, but for reasons I'm not entirely sure of myself, I prefer the one they had a few months ago, partially because it was more complete, and maybe the new one looks a bit too washed out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe I'm using a different version, but I have Street View on the old Foley's building, and I don't see it.

When the first Street View images came out, you could actually still see the F O L E Y ' S name (cast iron letters, IIRC?) on the building.

I do see that they updated the aerial imagery as well to this year, but for reasons I'm not entirely sure of myself, I prefer the one they had a few months ago, partially because it was more complete, and maybe the new one looks a bit too washed out.

 

I think you can only view it on the desktop version - I didn't have to download or update anything.  It didn't show up for a few days for me...  Anyway going back to October 2007 it appears to show the Macy's sign.  You can click on the image in the timeline to switch over to street view from that time period

post-3309-0-83537400-1398538293_thumb.jp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The new GoogleEarth street shots are not as sharp as before, don't zoom as well on street view. I would love to see a side-by-side year comparison, like the slide feature in historicaerials. Makes it easy to pinpoint locations of previous structures or bayou changes, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I just noticed that Google Maps satellite was updated west of Peek Rd across Grand Pkwy and all the way through the western part of Cinco. I can see it on my Android phone but haven't confirmed on a computer. Imagery looks to be around January, some time before the overpasses at Bellaire or 1093 were completed.

99/10 and 99/290 interchanges are now shown as nearly complete.

Edited by nolaboy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

Looks like most of the satellite imagery of the area on the west side has reverted back to atleast 2 years ago (Palladium barely has a foundation poured). I hope this means Google is working on rolling out an update....

 

Edit: my statement above applies to the Google Maps website. The Android app still shows the same imagery from last year.

Edited by nolaboy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

There is a May 2015 satellite imagery update on Google Earth for most of the Houston area (adjust the timeline to select 5/15). However there is alot of cloud coverage and its pretty dark. Its not quite the image quality we're used to seeing from Google.

 

There is also a "coming soon" layer on the left hinting at something yet to come, and the blog at the link below indicates that this Sunday (6/28) is Google Earth's 10th anniversary. Hopefully something "Earth"-Shattering will be released???

http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2015/06/new-google-earth-layers-coming-soon.html

 

 

Edit: This imagery is from May 27, 2015, approximately a day and half after the heavy rain/flooding on Memorial Day.

 

You can slide the timeline one notch to the left to view March 2015 imagery for the eastern half of the metro area (approximately from the Med center to the Bay). This imagery is alot clearer.

 

Google%20Earth.JPG

Edited by nolaboy
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...