Comments on: More Scotch Tape

By: Adam

Adam — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 21:29:47 +0000

I don’t think this explanation applies to the standard “scotch tape” artifacts…

But, the Kyrgyzstan instance:
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

…looks very much like light reflected off the solar panels of a lower-altitude satellite. Since its body reflects relatively little light, it reads as black. Imagine a craft with a similar design to this: http://www.glonass-center.ru/satellite.jpg I don’t know how long or frequent the composite exposures are, but the trail is most likely an artifact of the foreground satellite’s own orbital motion.

By: Martin

Martin — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 13:54:03 +0000

There’s also some scotch tape with colored rectangles in Russia:
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
And there’s also a big scar all the way through Norway:
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

By: Insomniduck

Insomniduck — Tue, 09 Aug 2005 06:28:34 +0000

Another one… Russia: Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

By: pooms

pooms — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 20:43:00 +0000

The other indication that these are the swath errors that I mentioned is that for some of them you can see a pattern of 16 lines within the “tape” if you zoom in to the maximum resolution. The Landsat satellite has 16 sensors that are exposed at a time when the mirror sweeps across. That last one is a good example, you can count 15 lines for sure, and given the alternating dark/white pattern you can assume that there is one more dark one that we can’t see, making up the 16.

By: TexasAndroid

TexasAndroid — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 20:04:13 +0000

Oh. That last bit of tape is in Issyk Kul, Kyrgyzstan.

By: TexasAndroid

TexasAndroid — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 20:03:25 +0000

And one more just submitted over at GG. It’s darker than the others, being mostly over water, but is at the same general angle.

Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

By: TexasAndroid

TexasAndroid — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 17:57:14 +0000

Nice catch as to them being at similar angles, and why.

A few more tape examples:

Saudi Arabia:
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

Austrailia:
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

Not certain if this one fits (shadow and all), but it’s at the correct angle. Over the Sudan:
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

Original credit for these last few goes to various users over at Google Globetrotting (www.googleglobetrotting.com)

By: Marydo

Marydo — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 04:10:59 +0000

hullo,
i seem to see those above my head on a clear blue sky…
could it be traces of aviation fuel in the high atmosphere ?

By: Max

Max — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 22:41:15 +0000

thanx for the info pooms!

By: Winterfresh

Winterfresh — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 21:54:35 +0000

Wow, it only took me like 10 submissions to finally have one accepted!