This week we’re giving you a taste of what you can find in Voyager, a showcase of interactive tours and stories from experts, nonprofits and more in the new Google Earth.

Earth Day is just a few days away. And we can think of few better ways to celebrate than by appreciating our planet’s beauty from that most unique perspective: Space. Today in Voyager, go on a planetary-wide scavenger hunt with NASA Earth imagery; see geographies in a new way with Federico Winer’s Ultradistancia; and admire stunning landscapes with Earth View by Ubilabs.

Explore the world from a distance, and see a few things closer to home—like cherry blossoms in full bloom, tropical islands and the wonders of the ancient world.

Yesterday, we introduced a new version of Google Earth, along with Voyager—a showcase of interactive tours that help you explore our planet further. Over the next few days, we’re giving you a taste of what you’ll be able to find on Voyager, starting today with stories on the theme of culture, people and places around the world.

Your journey begins in South Africa, Mexico or Nigeria with what is perhaps the cutest thing to ever happen in Google Earth (so far): Girl Muppets Around the World, a story by Sesame Street that that introduces you to different cultures around the world through the eyes of the girl Muppets.

Then head to Hamburg, Germany, site of the world’s largest model railway exhibit, Miniatur Wunderland. The nearly 16,000 meters of train tracks feature miniaturized versions of several notable cultural spots around the world, which you can explore in Street View alongside their real-life location on the globe.

Of course, we couldn’t let today go by without taking you to one of the world’s cultural capitals: Paris. This is just one of many city itineraries we plan to publish in the coming months to help make travel planning—and armchair adventures—even easier.

Visit Voyager to see these stories, explore notable museums, learn how past cultures lived—and experience how the Earth itself can become a work of art.

Nearly everyone who's opened Google Earth in the last decade does the same thing first: they search for their home. Home is how we orient ourselves—it's where we start from. This might mean a one-story craftsman in a Wisconsin suburb. Or a house made of reeds on a floating village in Peru.

Then we zoom out. We see our neighborhood, then our city, our province, our country, our continent, and eventually: our blue marble. Out in space, our planet looks impossibly small. But improbably, it’s home to all of us. On the eve of Earth Day, I'm reminded of something I've learned watching people use Google Earth over the years: Home is not just how we understand our place in the world—it’s a means to connect to something bigger than ourselves.

Today we’re introducing a brand-new version of Google Earth—on the web and Android—two years in the making. With the new Earth, we want to open up different lenses for you to see the world and learn a bit about how it all fits together; to open your mind with new stories while giving you a new perspective on the locations and experiences you cherish. It’s everything you love about Google Earth, plus new ways for you to explore, learn and share. Zoom in and see what adventures await you in the new Google Earth.

Broaden your horizons with Voyager

Start with Natural Treasures from BBC Earth, and journey to six habitats—from islands to mountains to jungles—and learn about the unique and thrilling wildlife in each. Then head to Gombe National Park in Tanzania and hear from Jane Goodall about her team’s chimpanzee research and conservation efforts. And make a stop in Mexico with Lola, one of 12 little monsters featured in Sesame Street's Girl Muppets Around the World, and learn about modern Mayan cultures. With more than 50 immersive stories in Voyager, and more added weekly, there are lots of adventures to choose from.

Explore and learn about anywhere

Once you’ve landed on a point of interest, open a Knowledge Card to learn history and facts about that place and see more pictures of it. To add a dash of serendipity to your travels, flip through the stack of cards and discover related places. You might find yourself in Valencia, Spain and stumble on the beautiful Ciudad de las Artes y Las Ciencias.

Share the beauty you find

When you find a view that leaves you breathless or inspires a fond memory, share a Postcard of your exact view with your friends and family. They can click the link to jump right to where you were (virtually) standing.

Bringing it all back home

Get the new Google Earth now on the web in Chrome; on Android as it rolls out this week; and on iOS and other browsers in the near future. (Of course, you can still access and download Google Earth 7 for desktop.) Hold it in your hand, pass it around a classroom, fly around the world and walk inside places thousands of miles away in incredible detail. Feel free to lose yourself a little—with Google Earth you can always find your way back home.