Washington from the sky: Google updates aerial photos

What were you doing on Sunday, August 29, 2010? If you were outside shortly after 1 pm, chances are Google Maps caught you on camera from a satellite.

Google recently updated its satellite imagery of the Washington area and the new photos illustrate just how much the region has changed. In just a few clicks, you can see all the projects we’ve discussed or mentioned over the past few years.

In a thread of 41 emails of meticulous sleuthing, GGW contributors have pinned down the image capture to the early afternoon (between 1:00 and 1:35) of Sunday, August 29, 2010. For an exact time, check out the National Sundial.

One of the clues to the date and time included Metro trackwork between College Park and Greenbelt. According to our handy Disruption Calendar, the only recent scheduled trackwork in that area was the weekend of August 28/29 and Saturday, September 11.

We were able to exclude September 11 because the Crystal City bikeshare station, which was installed on the 31st, is not present. And it can’t be Saturday, August 28, either. For one, the Glen Beck rally on the Mall would be taking place. Also, Sunday farmers markets in Dupont Circle and Greenbelt are visible.

Here are some, but certainly not all, of the visible highlights that have changed since the last set of photos.

DC

Maryland

Virginia