It’s exactly forty years ago today that Neil Armstrong took man’s first step on the moon.

And to mark the historic occasion Google Earth has taken the same leap in cyberspace.

The search engine leader today launched Moon in Google Earth, an interactive 3D atlas of the moon which allows space fans to take their very own virtual steps on the surface of our closest satellite. picked by AutumnLotus 4 months ago

Whether or not you believe in a flat earth or a spherical one, this should still give you a chance to read about flat earth theory and post your views. picked by TheStep 3 years ago

Some of Earth's valleys dip below sea level. Mountains soar into thin air. Can you name the lowest spot? The tallest peak? Do you know how far it is to the center of the planet or what's there?

Where are the planet's hottest, coldest, driest and windiest places? picked by 2manyusernames 3 years ago

Beetles first appeared on Earth at the same time as the earliest dinosaurs but turned out to be much better survivors, a new evolutionary study has shown. Today, there are an estimated 350,000 known species of beetle on Earth, and probably several million more yet to be discovered, say scientists. The insects account for about a quarter of all life forms on the planet. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Google Earth has some amazing and interesting images to be found. Here are a few, shown in video form (if you can ignore the cheesy music). picked by tundramonkey 3 years ago

The Flat Earth Society considers the notion of a round earth to be a conspiracy. picked by glik 2 years ago

The Japanese lunar orbiter "Kaguya" saw earth, moon and sun line up on April 6, 2008 and captured another "Earth-rise" and "Earth-set" HDTV video - this time when the Earth was full. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

A detailed analysis of the measurements of five different satellites has revealed the existence of warm cloak of plasma around Earth. This newfound feature is part of the magnetosphere, a shield of magnetic fields and electrically charged particles that surround and protect Earth from the onslaught of the solar wind. picked by AutumnLotus 11 months ago

Geologists have uncovered evidence of when Earth may have first supported an oxygen-rich atmosphere similar to the one we breathe today. The study suggests that upheavals in the earth’s crust initiated a kind of reverse-greenhouse effect 500 million years ago that cooled the world’s oceans, spawned giant plankton blooms, and sent a burst of oxygen into the atmosphere. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Dr Chris MacLeod, from Cardiff University, said the Earth's crust appeared to be completely missing in an area thousands of kilometres across. He said it was an "open wound on the surface of the Earth", where the oceanic crust, usually 6-7km thick (3.7-4.3 miles), was simply not there. picked by Browntrout 3 years ago

Sometimes the "top-10" lists can get a bit monotonous. This one has some interesting info such as the Earth has 5 natural moons, not just one. Well sort of. picked by bernardblack 1 year ago

Scenes from the Bible have been imagined by countless artists over the centuries, but never quite like this. God’s Eye View portrays four key Biblical events as if captured by Google Earth. 4 really amazing images and a very cool sculpture, must see! picked by 2manyusernames 2 years ago

A picture taken of Earth from space, showing half the Earth at night and half illuminated.

<<<Image not related. picked by KingKoopa 3 years ago

These holes are not only amazing, but some of them are really terrifying! The sheer magnitude of these gaping holes reminds us of how men will scar the earth to pursue their quest for power and wealth.

*theme pic has nothing to do with post... picked by Nateebiinature 1 year ago

with my amazing 60% on our US citizenship score, i think i am the new leader of the pack unti those extra smart guys get back. in which case, we're all screwed anyway.

here's my fix. walk up the one in 5 of your friends who really truly believes that the sun revolves around the earth. then punch them. i think if you punch them often enough, they will come to their senses. picked by muppet 2 years ago

This is an amazing slideshow of photos accompanied by music. picked by Neiako 3 years ago

A combination of roads and some storm damage to trees created a very realistic Canvas-Earth type picture.

For those who don't aren't familar with the term, "Canvas Earth":
picked by 2manyusernames 3 years ago

For the first time, astronomers have found an object on a certain collision course with Earth. Fortunately, it is so small it is not expected to cause any damage, burning up in the atmosphere somewhere above northern Sudan in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. It may, however, produce a brilliant 'shooting star'. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

Besides the obvious benefits they bring, it looks like we owe our very existence to plants, which helped prevent the Earth from freezing over during the past 25 million years. picked by AutumnLotus 4 months ago

A mineral that acts like a sponge beneath Earth's surface stores more oxygen than expected, keeping our planet from becoming dry and inhospitable like Mars. The key to the abundant oxygen storage is the mineral majorite, which exists deep below Earth's surface in the mantle. Without the oxygen stockpile, Earth would probably be a barren planet hostile to life. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago