Google Street View shows Antarctic World Heritage locations
updated 06:56 am EDT, Tue July 17, 2012
Shackleton and Scott huts viewable in internal panoramas
Google has expanded its World Wonders Project to include various locations in Antarctica. Powered by Street View, the number of locations viewable on the continent has increased to include panoramic shots of iconic and important places, including both internal and external shots of Shackleton's Hut, Scott's Hut, and the Ceremonial South Pole itself.
In order to take the panoramas in challenging weather conditions, Google representatives used a fisheye lens on a lightweight camera, typically used for its Business Photos program, instead of the Street View trikes seen at other locations. Previously, the project has taken images from the Rhaetian Railways train, capturing the 76 miles of the Albuna-Bernina line in the Swiss Alps.
The panoramas form part of a year-long project by the search giant to put world heritage sites and important locations online. Working with UNESCO and the World Monuments Fund, the World Wonders site allows visitors to explore from home not only popular destinations, but also those which are impractical to visit normally, such as the South Pole. [via Google Official Blog]
