Google Maps adds the Moon and Mars

Remember when Google Maps first launched? When you found yourself zooming in on your own house, astounded by the spectacle of technology? "You can see the car in the drive! Oh my god, THERE'S THE BLOODY CAT!" Well, Google just upped the mapping game. Literally. By several thousand miles.

Announced last night via Google+, Google has added the Moon and Mars to its incredibly useful mapping service.

Revealed to commemorate the second anniversary of the Curiosity Rover arriving on Mars, Google Maps users can now scroll around the surface of the Martian planet with giddying-ease.

While admittedly patchy, the feat of mapping this distant body is staggering considering the short amount of time Google Earth has been around - but things get even more impressive when you visit the Moon. Our dusty satellite has been captured in extraordinary detail, even allowing you to gain an impression of the topography of the surface by tilting your viewing angle.

Unfortunately there's not currently a search function for locations on either Mars or the Moon, so you're going to have to go hunting for Curiosity or the flag of the USA by yourself. To access Mars or the Moon, head to Google Maps, click the 'Earth' square in the bottom left of the screen and keep scrolling back/zooming out as far as you can go. Eventually, Earth, the Moon and Mars will appear in a bar at the bottom of the screen.

Alternatively, head here for the Moon and here for Mars. Happy mapping.

(Images: Google Maps)