"Jeff R." wrote in message
...
I happened upon these two rather impressive blown highlights in Google
Earth, at:

150°59'49.49"E 33°49'0.68"S

(and a hundred metres or so north of that) and and just wondering... Is
this common in Google's sat shots? Anyone seen others?

This is a flare from a direct sun reflection. These are not that unusual,
though some of them are spectacular looking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFIfl8XGw1U

Didn't the goddam astronaut check his histogram before posting?

Yep - and, like most of us, he decided that he'd rather expose for the rest
of the picture, rather than try for non-existent detail in a specular
reflection.

It actually begs another set of questions...
My scanner frequently blooms just like those shots if I'm scanning highly
reflective items, but my digital cameras don't bleed in a linear fashion
like that - just a big white patch.

Is Google using a huge flatbed scanner in its satellites?

You may not be far off - aerial survey cameras sometimes use a linear
arrangement to produce a continuous strip. Satellites may well do the same.
--
Mike Russell - www.curvemeister.com