Can You See the Great Wall from Space?
It's often said that the Great Wall of China is the only human-made thing visible from space. Astronauts say they can't see it.
What was reported
For nearly a century, people have repeated that the Great Wall of China can be seen from space, or even from the Moon. The claim appeared in a 'Believe It or Not' cartoon in 1932, long before anyone had gone to space, and found its way into textbooks.
In 2003, Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut, said that he had looked for the wall from orbit and couldn't see it.
Explanations offered
The wall is very long, but only a few metres wide and made of materials close in colour to the land around it, so it's almost impossible to pick out with the naked eye from low orbit. Some astronauts have photographed sections with a telephoto lens. Cities, airports and big roads are much easier to see. From the Moon, no human structures are visible at all.
- When
- Claimed since at least 1932
- Where
- In orbit, over the Great Wall of China
- Witnesses
- Astronauts, including China's first
- Status
- Myth
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.