Changes

A long-standing legend holds that the Great Wall of China is the only human structure visible from space, or even that it is visible from the Moon. This legend probably originated with Richard Halliburton's 1938 "Second Book of Marvels," which made this claim. In fact, it has been disputed as to whether it is even visible to the naked eye from low earth orbit. Some astronauts who have looked for it have been able to see it, some have not. In 2005 an American astronaut (of Chinese descent) did succeed photographing it. <ref> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4459311.stm | BBC News report of "China Daily" article 4/19/2005]</ref> There is no truth to the notion that there are ''few'' visible human structures; Cecil Adams comments

:Any number of man-made structures can be seen from space, provided we construe "structure" to mean "anything built." Many of these are things that look like long, straight lines when seen from afar, such as highways, railroads, canals, and of course walls. If the orbit is low enough you can see even more. I have here a photo of Cape Canaveral taken during the Gemini V flight in which the big Launch Complex 39, used for the Apollo missions, is clearly visible. Another photo of the Nile delta, taken from a height of 100 miles, shows an extensive road network. Gemini V astronauts Gordon Cooper and Charles Conrad were able to spot, among other things, a special checkerboard pattern that had been laid out in Texas, a rocket-sled test in New Mexico, and the aircraft carrier that would later pick them up in the Atlantic, along with a destroyer trailing in its wake.<ref>[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_092.html Is the Great Wall of China the only manmade object you can see from space?] Cecil Adams, ''The Straight Dope''</ref>

== References ==

<references/>