Google Earth gets a fancy new look thanks to NASA satellite data

Google is mining photos from a satellite launched in 2013 to create a better, cloud-free image of Earth from above.

The newest mosaic is an updated version of one produced in 2013. The new version was pieced together mostly using data from the Landsat 8 satellite, launched by NASA, which snaps "twice as many images as Landsat 7 does every day," according to Google.

"This new rendition of Earth uses the most recent data available — mostly from Landsat 8 — making it our freshest global mosaic to date," Chris Herwig, program manager for Google Earth Engine wrote in a blog post.  Read more...