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Google Sightseeing takes you on tour of the world as seen from satellite, using the free Google Earth program, or Google Maps in your web browser. Each weekday your guides James and Alex present new weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

The editors: James & Alex

The Real First & Largest Logo Visible From Space

Posted by Alex, Wednesday, 15th November 2006

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First it got Dugg, and then it got Slashdotted - but the fact remains that the enormous KFC logo recently constructed in Nevada is not the first logo (or brand) visible from space. In fact, it’s debatable whether or not it’s even really visible from space at all (See the introduction to our book for a more complete examination of this argument). Either way, KFC’s big logo isn’t actually that big.1

Now this Readymix logo in the Australian desert is big. Really big.2 It’s 3.2km across, and 1.6km high - and come to think of it, it’s been there since 1965, so probably qualifies as the first logo visible from space, and it’s possible that this was the first logo constructed specifically for that purpose too.

Digg that Diggers :D

1) It is however an excellent example of big business beginning to try to cash in on the online satellite imagery phenomenon. However I seriously doubt that the image will ever appear on Google Earth or Maps, as to the best of my knowledge, Google don’t currently buy any imagery from GeoEye, the only company who have definitely captured a photo of the giant KFC logo.

2) However, even the Readymix writing is nowhere near the world’s largest text.

Thanks to the (ever awesome) Keyhole users.

Countries: Australia, Nevada

Posted in: ,

Related Posts: Incan Geoglyphs of Chile, Ghost Towns: Kolmanskop, US Presidential Election, Concrete Art, Neo-Nazi FAIL

11 Responses to 'The Real First & Largest Logo Visible From Space'

  1. 1. Michael Castellon says: November 15th, 2006 at 9:39 pm

    Dugg! Thanks for the great insight.

  2. 2. randall says: November 16th, 2006 at 12:52 am

    link for the world’s largest text doesn’t seem to work. just thought i’d let you know

  3. 3. Kingsly says: November 16th, 2006 at 1:49 am

    Here is the link for the largest text http://www.googlesightseeing.com/2005/04/08/luecke/

  4. 4. Russ says: November 16th, 2006 at 9:13 am

    There’s a vid of the construction on google video:
    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8731914636474352421

  5. 5. . says: November 16th, 2006 at 2:20 pm

    Randall:

    I noticed that too — the link is misplaced: it’s on the numeral 2 in the list.

  6. Google Sightseeing Admin
    6. Alex says: November 16th, 2006 at 2:52 pm

    Thanks, link should now be fixed - markdown was behaving oddly for some reason?

  7. 7. Mirage says: November 16th, 2006 at 3:35 pm

    I thought that the KFC logo was constructed at Rachel, Nevada, not Arizona.
    Placemark: 37° 38.801′ N, 115° 44.760′ W / Google Earth

  8. Google Sightseeing Admin
    8. Alex says: November 16th, 2006 at 3:41 pm

    Goshdarnit! Thanks Mirage, now fixed.

  9. 9. . says: November 17th, 2006 at 1:54 am

    Link is still mucked.

  10. 10. Brad says: November 20th, 2006 at 3:42 am

    “Visible from Space” is a bit of an ambigious term. The whole “Great Wall of China” is visible from space started the nonsence, and was actually russian PR. http://www.snopes.com/science/greatwal.htm

  11. 11. Mike says: February 15th, 2007 at 11:20 pm

    I work for Readymix - or rather for Cemex, the company who took us over a couple of years ago, so I feel quite proud of that logo, and also a little sad that the name is now redundant.

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