Can You See the Great Wall of China from Space?
Written by Fraser Cain
This is a popular myth: the Great Wall of China is the only human structure that can be seen from space. But it's not true. The reality is that you can't easily see the wall from space with the unaided eye.
In fact, when China's first astronaut, Yang Liwei, went into space, he said that he couldn't see the structure of the wall from out his capsule window.
NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao attempted to photograph the Great Wall of China from out his window on the International Space Station. He photographed a region of Inner Mongolia, about 200 miles north of Beijing. Chiao and NASA believe they can identify parts of the Great Wall in his photograph, but it's not easy to see.
The ancient pyramids at Giza are easy to see out the window of the International Space Station, however.
This myth goes even further, though. People somehow think that the Great Wall of China can be seen from the Moon. The Apollo astronauts confirmed that you can't see the Great Wall of China from the Moon. The best you can see is the white and blue marble of our home planet.
With all of the human construction, many buildings and other structures can be seen from space. But you can't see the Great Wall of China from space.
Filed under: Astronomy
