The Most Visible Human-Made Structure from Space Debunked
Many believe the Great Wall of China is the most visible human-made structure from space, imagined as a massive 8,851.8-kilometer stone snake waving at passing astronauts. However, this popular notion is inaccurate.
The Great Wall Myth: More Camouflage Than Landmark
In reality, the Wall is difficult to distinguish from the surrounding landscape. Both satellites and astronauts find it challenging to separate the Wall from the hills and terrain around it. Neil Armstrong himself confirmed that the Great Wall was not visible to him from space, even though he was significantly closer to Earth than the Moon, which is about 350,000 kilometers away.
Neil Armstrong stated he could not see the Great Wall from space despite his proximity.
The myth likely originated from an 18th-century British antiquarian who merely speculated that the Wall "could" be visible from space, but this was never confirmed.
The Real Most Visible Structure from Space
Surprisingly, the most visible human-made structure from space is not in China but in southern Spain. It is Los Invernaderos de Almería, a vast area covered by plastic greenhouses that reflect sunlight and are easily seen from orbit.
Summary
Contrary to popular belief, the Great Wall of China is almost invisible from space; reflective greenhouses in southern Spain hold the distinction of being the most easily seen human structure from orbit.
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