Seven and a Half Years of Timelapse from Groom Lake

Seven and a half years of timelapse imagery of Groom Lake, spanning from January 2017 to June 2024 (Here is only a snapshot of the timelapse), have been obtained from the Sentinel-2 satellite. Area 51, a highly classified US military base in Nevada, is located in Groom Lake, in Southern Nevada, 83 miles from Las Vegas.

Built in 1955, it was originally constructed as a test site for the Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. Over the years, other famous aircraft have been tested here, including the Archangel-12, SR-71 Blackbird, and the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter.

Area 51 was not officially recognized by the CIA as a military base until June 2013. The CIA reports that the correct names for Area 51 are Groom Lake and Homey Airport (KXTA). Groom Lake is a salt marsh used for the runways at the Nevada Test and Training Range. The lake itself stretches 3.7 miles from north to south and is 3 miles wide at its widest point.