The number of options that we have at our disposal in any map application is increasing, but even so, our curiosity is always one step ahead. There are not the few users who want to find out how to see my current location with a satellite view on Google Maps , and although the application does allow us to see where we are from above with a fairly acceptable image quality, it is likely that reality does not end to satisfy us.
When entering Google Maps, if we want to see how our current location looks from a satellite , we just have to click on the icon with a target that we find on the right to specify the location (assuming that we have previously activated the location on our mobile). At that moment, we will have to click on the layers icon, represented by two overlapping diamonds also on the right side of the screen, and choose the ‘Satellite’ option.
By configuring the Google Maps application in this way , we can zoom in on the map until we see the street we are on, although we will find that the layout of the cars (and it is possible that of the businesses in the area) is not the same what we see with our eyes every day.
IS THE CURRENT SATELLITE IMAGE OF GOOGLE MAPS REAL?
This leads users to the next question: is the current satellite image on Google Maps real? The image is real, but it is not current. The only current factor that appears on that map is our location at that point. If we want to know when the satellite image that we find when looking for our current location was taken, we will have to use the web version of Google Maps.
In it, we will see at the bottom the legend about when the image in question was taken , the space technology company used to capture the image and the body that took it, such as the National Geographic Institute in Spain. The more populated your current location is, the more likely it is that the Google Maps photo is more recent, and that it receives updates often, although you are far from seeing the image in real time.
HOW TO VIEW LIVE SATELLITE IMAGES OF MY CURRENT LOCATION
The interest in discovering how to view live satellite images of my current location is a dream that many users have. This would make it possible, for example, to discover which lane is in which a traffic jam has occurred and which one we should drive through to get out of it as soon as possible, or check where there is a free space to park in the neighborhood when we get home from work. The reality, for the moment, is a bucket of cold water for those who want to have live satellite images of their location.
Once we have verified that Google Maps does not provide us with live satellite images , it is logical to ask if there are other applications that can provide them to us. Many times we think that technology is much more advanced than it really is, and this is the case with satellite images. The most developed satellites can offer images in a few minutes from when they take the images, but the reality is that in order to offer them in an acceptable resolution, you have to wait a few days.
One of the most used satellite image portals is Sentinel Hub , which covers the entire planet Earth and offers new images every five days. Although it has several payment options, it’s a good idea to try its EO Browser first , with which we can see impressive images, although not of our location in real time.
Other alternatives such as NOAA offer updated images every so often, but with very low resolution, so they are more useful for monitoring meteorological phenomena. NASA Worldview is another portal where we will find very interesting maps , including geostationary images taken every 10 minutes, but with a resolution that makes it impossible to see our location via satellite in real time.