How Big Really

A closer look at How Big Really

Overlay real-world events and places on your postcode

How Big Really takes dimensions of places, events and objects and overlays them onto a map centered on a postcode or place name. You start by typing in your postcode or a place name to see those scales drawn where you are, so you can visually compare sizes and extents in familiar local context.

What kinds of things you can place on the map

The site includes a wide range of examples: disasters and affected areas like the 2010 Pakistan floods; historical structures and routes such as the Twin Towers and 9/11 plane routes; space locations like the Moon, the Apollo 11 landing site and the Mars rover route; deep features like the Kola Superdeep Borehole and the Mariana Trench; and large man-made extents such as the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids of Giza.

Events, environmental features and battles visualised

You can also view modern events and human impacts (the Gulf oil spill, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Exxon Valdez), festivals and gatherings (Glastonbury, Burning Man, St Peteru2019s Basilica and Square), infrastructure and regions (Silicon Valley, Three Gorges Dam) and military or historical ranges and battles (flight ranges of aircraft like the Bf109E and Spitfire, bomb blast areas, the battle of Stalingrad, Athens during the Peloponnesian War).

Questions people ask about How Big Really

Do I need to enter a postcode to use it?

Yes - the page instructs you to type in your postcode or a place name to get started.

Can I compare both natural and human-made things?

Yes, the examples cover natural features, environmental disasters, built structures and historical/military events, so you can compare across those categories.

Will I see specific items like the Moon landing or the Great Wall?

Yes, the site explicitly lists items such as the Apollo 11 Moon landing and the Great Wall of China among its examples.

How Big Really was shared on NexURLs by skilo on October 15, 2026, in Weird & Wonderful.