Slashdot Mirror
Giant Chinese Desert Mystery Structure Solved
Velcroman1 writes "Slashdotters read Monday about strange symbols in the Gobi Desert recently imaged and indexed by Google Maps. Alien landing zones? Some military thingy? Bizarre art project? Nope. The grids of zigzagging white lines seen in two of the images — the strangest of the various desert structures — are spy satellite calibration targets, according to one NASA scientist."
No, they don't match any other places. They're just for calibration. US has similar ones in Arizona.
No, they don't match any other places. They're just for calibration. US has similar ones in Arizona.
And Texas. (Although that one was a NASA photogrammetry calibration target, I think..)
Well, from reading the article, I gather that it's because they might have needed something bigger because the resolution on their spy satellites is not that good. FTFA: "The calibration targets are larger than might have been expected, he said, suggesting that the satellite cameras they are being used to calibrate have surprisingly poor ground resolution."
Qu'on me donne six lignes écrites de la main du plus honnête homme, j'y trouverai de quoi le faire pendre.
Luecke is used for calibration, but it was not originally intended for that.
IIRC it was done due to a land dispute with the state.