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Can the Great Wall Be Seen from the Space?

The answer is no.

It was once widely believed that the Great Wall could be seen from space. However, as humans ventured into space, this myth was completely debunked.

The origin of the claim that the Great Wall can be seen from space

The claim that “the Great Wall is the only man-made structure visible to the naked eye from the moon” first appeared in a letter written by British archaeologist William Stukeley in 1754, 215 years before the first human landing on the moon.

The most widespread version originated from a comic book published in 1932, Ripley's Believe It or Not, which claimed that “the Great Wall is the sole man-made structure visible from the moon when gazing at Earth”. Since then, this legend has spread rapidly through textbooks, documentaries, and casual conversations around the world.

Astronauts confirm the Great Wall is not visible from space.

1. American astronaut Neil Armstrong

Neil Alden Armstrong, the first American astronaut to set foot on the moon in 1969, was asked countless times whether he had seen the Great Wall from the moon. A recording released by NASA Johnson Space Center shows that Armstrong said he saw continents, lakes, and blue dots dotted with red. But he couldn't see any man-made objects on Earth from the moon.

See the Great Wall from a higher altitude

2. Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei

On October 15, 2003, Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut to enter space aboard the Shenzhou V spacecraft, gave a definite answer of “No” to reporters after returning to the ground. Yang Liwei further clarified that when the Shenzhou V spacecraft rose to an altitude of over 30 kilometers (20 miles) above the ground, the Great Wall could no longer be observed with the naked eye.

3. Chinese astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng

On October 12, 2005, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng flew in space for five days aboard the Shenzhou VI spacecraft. Similar to Yang Liwei, they were also asked if they saw the Great Wall in space. In fact, every astronaut on each Shenzhou mission has faced this question. However, the answer has always been the same: none of them saw the Great Wall.

Why it cannot be seen？

1. Insufficient width

Although the existing Ming Great Wall stretches for nearly 9,000 kilometers (5,600 miles), the width is the main factor determining whether it can be seen from space. The average width of the Great Wall is from 4 to 5 meters (13 to 16 feet), equivalent to the width of a one-lane road. Viewing the Great Wall from the moon is like looking for a strand of hair from a distance of 3,000 meters (3,300 yards). Therefore, the claim that it can be seen from space is clearly incorrect.

The actual width of the Great Wall

2. The Great Wall's color is hard to contrast with the surrounding landscape.

When the Great Wall was built, most of the materials were sourced locally. Stones and bricks were used on mountain ridges, while yellow rammed earth was used in deserts. Therefore, it often blends in with the surrounding landscape. When observing objects from a high altitude, a distinct contrast is needed, such as the vast blue ocean. However, the Great Wall's color cannot contrast with the surrounding landscape, making it difficult to spot from a high altitude.