One small step for Google
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing, Google has given users the chance to explore the moon in the
Google Earth application.
The new option lets users venture across the entire surface of the moon. The software features a host of integrated features, including embedded video footage from previous landings, panoramic stills captured by astronauts and 3D models of spacecraft which have landed on the surface.
The new feature also gives users a guided tour of the moon’s surface, with commentary from
Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
A blog post on the Google Lat Long Blog announced the new feature:
“Today, on the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing, Google is proud to announce the release of Moon in Google Earth, bringing you one step closer to understanding the experience of standing on the moon. It brings the Apollo stories out of the history books, recreating them in an immersive and interactive 3D environment.”
One giant leap for websites
Google celebrated the anniversary of the Apollo 11 landings by replacing its Google street view icon with an astronaut avatar. The company also swapped its traditional hompage logo with a Google Doodle, depicting the view of Earth from the moon.
Google was not the only website to celebrate the anniversary of the moon landing and Bing and Yahoo both hosted commemorative designs in honour of the occasion. Bing – famous for its inspiring daily background images – revealed awallpaper of the moon’s surface, while YouTube added a cartoon depiction of the Apollo 11 Lander next to its logo.
