China denies The Great Wall can be seen from space

[DreamRebel]

[Edit] Post removed

Edited March 12, 2004 by DreamRebel

[DC09]

Its not so amazing that the wall can be seen from space. A lot of things can be seen from space.

[DreamRebel]

[Edit] Post removed

[Aslan]

As far as I'm aware, it was a fallacy that the Great Wall could be seen from space anyway.

I read somewhere that the only evidence of man visible from orbit was the route followed by some of the fences employed by Austalian farmers to separate the cultivated land from the desert.

[Tommy]

The myth was that the great wall was apparently the only man-made structure visible from space with the unaided eye.

Again the Straight Dope is our friend.

[doomgirl]

What's Really Visible from Space

There is a longstanding myth that the Great Wall of China is the only manmade object visible from space. It and several variations on the theme are great fodder for water cooler arguments. In reality, many human constructs can be seen from Earth orbit.

Shuttle astronauts can see highways, airports, dams and even large vehicles from an Earth orbit that is about 135 miles (217 kilometers) high. Cities are clearly distinct from surrounding countryside, and that's true even from the higher perch of the International Space Station, which circles the planet at about 250 miles (400 kilometers) up.

"You can see an awful lot from space," says astronaut Ed Lu, the science officer of Expedition Seven aboard the station. "You can see the pyramids from space, especially with a pair of binoculars. They are a little difficult to pick out with just your eyes."

Full Story

[Gazz]

Hope this is not too far off topic,

but from space to see what man's impact

really is look at our world from space

while the land below is at night!

Then you can see just how much this is

really a HUMAN world!

We light up the world!

Gazz

[Kismit]

I read somewhere that the only evidence of man visible from orbit was the route followed by some of the fences employed by Austalian farmers to separate the cultivated land from the desert.

This would be the Rabit proof fence . (Recently made movie on it ,well worth checking out, and based on a true story) . Oddly enough I can't see how it would be visible from space . It's only a wire fence as are most farming fences and I think probably much to narrow to be visible from any great hieght .

[PsychicPenguin]

Well.. now I can say that the Chinese government is quite honest

[Talon]

Nobody knows exactly where the story got started, although some think it was speculation by some bigshot during an after-dinner speech in the early days of the space program.

I heard that it was after Armstrong etc got back from the the moon a Chinese reporter or interviewer or somthing asked them if the great wall of china could be seen from space (as mentioned obviously if your close enough you can Cities and highways etc, but it was taken they ment beyond this height hence the myth its the "only"). Aparently so not to hurt their feelings the astronaught said yes even though it wasn't true.

Anyway, thats what someone told me when I was 7 and I've heard someone else say a similar story when I was 12, so two sources, serval years apart, same story. Up to you whether youy beleive it or not.