Google Earth, a web site designed to give people access to the world right from their desktop has named Bermuda as one of the top ten search spots.

This site combines satellite imagery, maps and the search power of Google to put the world right in front of people. A user can search for Paris, London and Africa or look for a restaurant, shopping mall and school in their hometown.

The top ten search spots include the Nevada?s Grand Canyon; Washington DC?s Lincoln Memorial; the Rome Colosseum; vacation spot Cabo San Lucas in Mexico; Paris? Eiffel Tower; Venice, Italy; Bermuda; the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco; Nevada?s Sedan nuclear explosion crater and Nevada?s Hoover Dam.

According to the web site, the images captured by satellites and aircraft were taken within the past three years.

Two young men in the international business sector in Bermuda did some detective work to figure out when the photos of our Island home were taken.

The men, who wish to remain anonymous because the work was done during office hours, have figured out when most of Google Earth?s pictures of Bermuda were taken.

Based on various construction projects ? most notably Berkeley Institute ? the photos appear to be a couple of years old. It looks as if it is a Cup Catch weekend due to blue tarpaulins everywhere and a lack of cars parked in Hamilton.

The tarpaulins surround St. George?s which would make it 2003. Only one cruise ship is docked in Hamilton which indicates that the day is either late Thursday or early Friday morning. The angle of shadows ? the sun overhead slightly to the east would suggest late morning.

Another clue is an incoming flight at the Bermuda International Airport ? possibly American Airlines based in the shiny silver hull. The plane is about a hundred feet or so off the runway.

There are also only four planes at the terminal, so the time the photos were taken was probably around noon.

In the photos there is also a tug boat pulling out of St. George?s harbour which could help to determine the time.

The two men have guessed that due to all the information gathered, the bulk of the photos were probably taken around noon on Friday August 1, 2003.

However, they believe the lower resolution ones taken around the edges of Bermuda could have been shot at another time.

Google Earth can be downloaded onto a computer at no cost. For more information visit http://www.earth.google.com.