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USHUAIA, Argentina—Online photo albums I had prepared for family and friends weren’t capturing the essence of my travels to the southern reaches of the world. Then a light bulb clicked as I was exploring Google Earth: Why not use that?

Google Earth is a mapping product much more powerful than the typical Web-based map service. Applying mathematical algorithms to actual satellite and aerial images, with help from topographical data collected from the space shuttle, the free software lets you explore the world from your computer with remarkable realism.

Much of the magic ...