Timelapse takes sat maps back in time

Timelapse, sponsored by US magazine Time, doesn't just let you look at other places, but into other times.

Satellite maps online have long become old hat.

The site doesn't limit itself to satellite images from 2012 or 2013, but reaches further back into history, usually back into the 1980s.

Clicking on the Explore the World option provides options that really show the march of time.

Turning to Dubai, viewers can see artificial islands for hotels grow out of the waters of the Gulf. Moving on, viewers can watch Shanghai's explosive growth or how the Columbus glacier in Alaska keeps melting away.

Users have their choice of sites to explore, though many locations have images of such low resolution, with such large pixels, that it's difficult to recognise anything at all.