About 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, a Google Street View car passed down Main Street in Cortez and turned onto Mildred Road as it captured images and mapping data of the area.

Google Street View is a service featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that shows panoramic views from streets around the world. The images are captured using photography equipment and other sensors fixed atop cars that Google employs people to drive around.

Google can capture more than just images with its Street View equipment; some of the cars used for supporting the service are equipped with LIDAR systems that gather information about the shape of the car’s surroundings, including lanes and curbs.

To keep data and images up to date, Google periodically sends Google Street View cars through already-photographed areas to get updated images, sometimes with updated sensors that can capture higher-quality images and data.

Google Street View images from Main Street in Cortez currently are at least two years old. Many panoramas from other roads in Cortez were taken in June 2012.

The recent visit from Google Street View might mean updated images of Cortez will become available in Google Maps in the coming weeks.

cpape@the-journal.com