Every mountain, building and tree shadow mapped for any date and time
I've been working on this project for about 4 years. It began as terrain only because world wide elevation data was publicly available. I then added buildings from OpenStreetMap (crowd sourced) and more recently from Overture Maps data. Some computer vision/machine learning advancements [1] in the past few years have made it possible to estimate tree canopy heights using satellite imagery alone making it possible to finally add trees to the map. The data isn't perfect, but it's within +/- 3 meters of so. Good enough to give a general idea for any location on Earth. Happy to answer…
In plain words
This project maps shadows cast by terrain, buildings, and trees across Earth for any date and time. It combines publicly available elevation data, OpenStreetMap building information, and machine learning analysis of satellite imagery to estimate tree canopy heights. The resulting shadow predictions are accurate within three meters, providing users a general sense of shadow patterns at any location worldwide. The tool is useful for architects, urban planners, photographers, and anyone needing to understand how shadows fall in specific places.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
I've been working on this project for about 4 years. It began as terrain only because world wide elevation data was publicly available. I then added buildings from OpenStreetMap (crowd sourced) and more recently from Overture Maps data. Some computer vision/machine learning advancements [1] in the past few years have made it possible to estimate tree canopy heights using satellite imagery alone making it possible to finally add trees to the map. The data isn't perfect, but it's within +/- 3 meters of so. Good enough to give a general idea for any location on Earth. Happy to answer any questions. [1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-023-02206-6
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