When Google Earth launched in 2001, it transformed how we see our planet.
Suddenly, anyone with an internet connection could become a virtual explorer, discovering hidden wonders and bizarre sights from the comfort of their home.
This digital window to the world has revealed everything from ancient geoglyphs visible only from above to mysterious natural phenomena that scientists are still trying to explain.
But beyond the familiar landmarks and tourist destinations lies a more peculiar side of Earth, one filled with giant pink bunnies in the Alps, faces carved by nature into mountainsides, and forests that grow in impossible patterns.
These aren’t just odd curiosities; they’re testament to both human creativity and nature’s capacity to surprise us.
Some were crafted deliberately as artistic statements, others emerged through geological processes over millions of years, and a few remain unexplained despite careful study.
In this collection, we’ve gathered thirty of the most fascinating, bizarre, and unexpected sights you can find on Google Earth.
From massive desert artworks visible only from space to architectural oddities that take on new meaning when viewed from above, each entry offers a glimpse into the extraordinary features that make our planet uniquely captivating.
Let’s take a look.
1. The Giant Pink Bunny of Colletto Fava
In the Italian Alps lies a 200-foot-long pink bunny that’s visible from space.
Created by art collective Gelitin in 2005, this massive stuffed animal was designed to decompose naturally on the hillside over time.
2. The Badlands Guardian
Located in Alberta, Canada, this geological formation eerily resembles a human head wearing Native American headdress.
Natural erosion created this remarkable feature that looks like it was deliberately carved into the landscape.
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3. The Desert Pentagram
In the remote western corner of Kazakhstan, a massive pentagram measuring 1,200 feet across was discovered on Google Earth.
It turned out to be the outline of a former Soviet-era park designed around a star shape.
4. The Sailing Stone Trails
Death Valley’s Racetrack Playa features mysterious trails left by rocks that appear to move on their own.
These “sailing stones” leave long tracks across the desert floor, created by a unique combination of ice, wind, and thawing conditions.
5. The Serpent Mound
In Adams County, Ohio, the Great Serpent Mound stretches for 1,348 feet in the form of an undulating snake.
This ancient Native American earthwork is the largest serpent effigy in the world and is particularly striking in satellite imagery.
6. The Blood Falls
In Antarctica, a blood-red waterfall pours out of Taylor Glacier.
The striking color comes from iron-rich saltwater that oxidizes when it contacts air, creating the dramatic crimson cascade.
7. Crop Circle Capital
Wiltshire, England, is known as the crop circle capital of the world.
Google Earth frequently captures these intricate geometric patterns in the fields, though most are human-made art installations.
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8. The Giant Fish Trap
Off the coast of Japan, the Underwater Buddha of Yonaguni remains a subject of debate.
Some believe it’s a natural formation, while others insist it’s an ancient man-made structure.
9. The Desert Eyes
In the Mauritanian desert, the Richat Structure forms a perfect bull’s-eye visible from space.
This 30-mile wide geological formation is nicknamed “The Eye of the Sahara.”
10. The Airplane Graveyard
The Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona serves as a massive aircraft boneyard, where thousands of decommissioned military aircraft create striking patterns visible from above.
11. The Nazca Lines
Peru’s ancient Nazca Lines include enormous drawings of animals and geometric shapes that can only be fully appreciated from above.
These mysterious geoglyphs were created between 500 BCE and 500 CE.
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12. The Giant Guitar
In Argentina, a forest was planted in the shape of a guitar as a tribute to a farmer’s late wife who loved the instrument. The massive musical instrument spans over half a mile.
13. The Airplane House
In Lebanon, Oregon, sits a retired Boeing 727 that’s been converted into a home.
The unusual residence is perched in the middle of a forest.
14. The Toxic Rainbow Lake
From above, China’s Dacheng Mine looks like a rainbow-colored toxic wasteland.
The surreal colors come from mineral deposits and chemical reactions in the mining pools.
15. The Coca-Cola Logo
In Chile’s Atacama Desert, the world’s largest corporate logo was created using 70,000 Coca-Cola bottles to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary.
16. The Car Henge
In Alliance, Nebraska, a replica of Stonehenge built entirely from vintage American automobiles creates a striking sight from above.
17. The Rotated Forest
In Poland’s Krzywy Las (Crooked Forest), a grove of pine trees all bend northward at their base, creating an eerily uniform curved pattern visible from space.
18. The Giant Hand
In the Chilean Atacama Desert, a massive hand sculpture called “Mano del Desierto” rises 36 feet from the sand, creating a striking landmark visible in satellite imagery.
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19. The Spiral Jetty
Artist Robert Smithson’s famous earthwork sculpture in Utah’s Great Salt Lake creates a 1,500-foot coil that changes appearance as lake levels fluctuate.
20. The Marree Man
In South Australia, a massive geoglyph depicts an indigenous man hunting with a throwing stick.
The 2.2-mile-long figure remains mysterious, as its creators have never been definitively identified.
21. The Crystal Mill
Perched precariously on an outcrop above Colorado’s Crystal River, this wooden powerhouse built in 1892 seems to defy gravity.
The abandoned structure appears to float above the waterfall when viewed from satellite imagery.
22. The Boneyard Beach
On the coast of New Zealand’s South Island, the remains of an ancient forest create what appears to be a massive skeleton on the beach.
These fossilized trees were exposed by coastal erosion, creating a striking pattern visible from above.
23. The Giant Chess Board
In Măcin, Romania, a massive chessboard covers nearly an acre of land, complete with permanently placed pieces.
It was created as part of a public art installation and remains one of the largest chess boards in the world.
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24. The Door to Hell
In Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert, the Darvaza Gas Crater has been burning continuously since 1971.
This 230-foot-wide crater was created when Soviet geologists accidentally drilled into a cavern filled with natural gas.
25. The Sprawling Face
In Belfast, Northern Ireland, a massive portrait titled “Wish” was created using thousands of tons of sand, soil, and gravel.
The artwork, visible from space, depicts a young local girl.
26. The Forest Swastika
In a German forest near Zernikow, a group of larch trees forms an enormous swastika pattern visible only from above during autumn.
Planted during the 1930s, some trees were removed in 2000 to eliminate the controversial symbol.
27. The Paper Clip Building
In Oslo, Norway, the Tjuvholmen Icon Complex appears from above as a giant paper clip.
This modern architectural marvel was deliberately designed to create this optical illusion when viewed from satellite imagery.
28. The Great Blue Hole
Off the coast of Belize, this massive underwater sinkhole appears as a perfect dark blue circle in the ocean.
The hole is over 1,000 feet wide and 400 feet deep, creating one of the most striking natural features visible from space.
29. The Millennium Falcon
In Sweden, the roof of Uppsala Concert and Congress Hall bears an uncanny resemblance to Han Solo’s famous spacecraft from Star Wars when viewed from above.
While unintentional, the similarity has made it a popular spot for Google Earth explorers.
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30. The Opéra Garnier Lake
Beneath Paris’s famous opera house lies a subterranean lake that inspired “The Phantom of the Opera.”
The artificial lake serves as a water tank and foundation support for the building.
Conclusion
Remember that while Google Earth makes these sights accessible to anyone with an internet connection, some locations may have changed or become less visible over time due to natural processes or human intervention.
The coordinates for these locations can be found through Google Earth’s search function, allowing you to explore these fascinating spots yourself.
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