Las Vegas is being highlighted as Google Earth adds historic imagery to its Timelapse feature.
Timelapse is a feature that takes the user back 32 years to see what that city or area looked like on the map and the growth of the city.
When users open the Google Earth software, they will receive a pop-up message informing them about the feature and giving them an option to try it. Those who decide to check it out are sent to 1984 Las Vegas, where the city was much smaller than it is now. Lake Mead in 1984 is also visible and much fuller than it is currently.
Dan Coming, a senior software engineer on the Google Earth team, grew up in Las Vegas.
"I hope we all gain a better understanding of our planet and our impact on it as well as how our cities grow and change over time," he said via email. "There's also a lot of nostalgia in looking back at the places of our past. I hope people will really look at this great imagery and find useful insights."
Coming said the U.S. government has already taken notice as Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell used the feature to look at Las Vegas and Lake Mead before a recent trip to the area.
Timelapse with historical imagery can only be used within the Google Earth software, which can be downloaded for free by clicking here.
