Tag Archives: Google Earth

Baha'i related

Google Earth Locations 3D

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-> An updated version of this post is available here <-

Back in 2006 I posted this article giving the locations of various Baha’i sites for anybody wanting to zoom in on them in Google Maps or Google Earth. Back then a couple of the buildings were obscured by clouds, those clouds are now gone and, if you have 3D Buildings turned on, you can now fly around 3D models of the exteriors to most of the buildings.

The Shrine of Baha’u’llah: 32°56’36.86″N, 35° 5’30.38″E
The Shrine of The Bab: 32°48’52.49″N, 34°59’13.91″E
Bahai House of Worship in Wilmette on Google EarthBaha’i House of Worship, America:
42°04’27.92″N, 87°41’03.71″W
Baha’i House of Worship, Australia:
33°41’07.52″S, 151°15’31.32″E
Baha’i House of Worship, Germany:
50°06’47.23″N, 8°23’47.93″E
Baha’i House of Worship, India:
28°33’12.11″N, 77°15’30.97″E
Baha’i House of Worship, Panama:
9° 3′ 34.90″ N 79° 31′ 13.75″ W
Baha’i House of Worship, Uganda:
0°21’51.96″N, 32°35’19.06″E
Baha’i House of Worship, W. Samoa:
13° 54′ 9.37″ S 171° 46′ 34.45″ W
The Guardian’s Resting Place (not 3D): 51°37’21.85″N, 0°08’35.57″W

Above is the Baha’i House of Worship in Illinois, USA, below is the House of Worship in New Delhi, India. You can appear to fly inside the buildings using Google Earth but the interior has not been recreated.

Bahai House of Worship, Lotus Temple, New Delhi on Google Earth

Computing, Useful Links

Google Earth takes to the skies

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The latest beta version of Google Earth, available from http://earth.google.com/ has two new sky related features.

I was wondering if anybody had found a hack to make it feel like you were flying a plane over Google Earth scenery, and I was pleased to find that Google have done it themselves. If you hold down CTRL+ALT+A (according to their instructions) you launch a flight simulator, choose your aicraft from two available, choose a starting point, and you can take to the skies. I have tested it by crashing into some trees in Venice. Details on all the controls are here.

On my computer CTRL+ALT+A didn’t work, something to do with having a British keyboard layout, but using the right hand (as opposed to left) CTRL with A (no ALT) worked instead.

There is also an option, which I have not tested yet, to explore space. You choose a location on earth from which to look at the skies and then click the sky button, from there you can explore our solar system and much of the known universe beyond it.

Baha'i related

Google Earth Locations

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-> An updated version of this post is available here <-

This post is for those who like to see aerial views of the Baha’i Shrines and Temples from mapping utilities such as Google Earth or Google Maps.

These locations are optimised for use with Google Earth, but should be fairly accurate with other mapping aplications. With Google Earth, or Google Maps, you can simply paste these locations into the search bar to zoom into them.

The Shrine of Baha’u’llah: 32°56’36.86″N, 35° 5’30.38″E
The Shrine of The Bab: 32°48’52.49″N, 34°59’13.91″E
The Guardian’s Resting Place: 51°37’21.85″N, 0°08’35.57″W

Baha’i House of Worship, America: 42°04’27.92″N, 87°41’03.71″W
Baha’i House of Worship, Australia: 33°41’07.52″S, 151°15’31.32″E
Baha’i House of Worship, Germany: 50°06’47.23″N, 8°23’47.93″E
Baha’i House of Worship, India: 28°33’12.11″N, 77°15’30.97″E
Baha’i House of Worship, Uganda: 0°21’51.96″N, 32°35’19.06″E

The following are covered by cloud on Google Earth:-
Baha’i House of Worship, Panama: 9° 3′ 34.90″ N 79° 31′ 13.75″ W
Baha’i House of Worship, W. Samoa: 13° 54′ 9.37″ S 171° 46′ 34.45″ W

Thanks go to this site, Dan Jones and Danoush Ahmadi for help finding some of the above.

Computing, Useful Links

Google Goodies

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There are two new mapping services from Google, both of which are really smart.

Google Maps

You can search for any location from a typical Google search bar and when you have got your map you not only can you zoom in and out, get directions, and add satellite imagery, but you can also smoothly scroll the map any distance in any direction just by dragging it with your mouse. If you want good satellite imagery of the UK you should stick to Multimap or Streetmap, but positioning the map exactly as you like it has always been a problem with those services.

Link: Google Maps

Google Earth

This is not that different from Google Maps in function, but the user interface is excellent. You have to download the software to access a 3D interface to global mapping data, though the bulk of the best features cover the USA. Try to find your house and zoom in, again satellite data is not as clear as some UK mapping services offer, but then search for Bahai Temple and click on the resulting link, you will zoom out from your home and fly over to Wilmette in the USA where you will fly down to earth just above the Baha’i House of Worship there. Go down the road into Chicago, or another major US city, and you will find 3d recreations of many major buildings in the city, adjust the tilt feature on the navigation panel and you can travel through the city between the tall buildings. The intended main fuction of this service is to enable you to easily locate locations and services in any area, but it is also good fun to try out. I tried looking in Haifa too, the quality is again not very detailed but if you zoom in just south of the harbour you will make out the green of the terrace gardens and the glimmer of the dome from the Shrine of the Bab and the roofs of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, the International Teaching Centre (I think) and the Archives Building.

Link: Google Earth

Both of these service are in still under development and may not work all of the time.