The colorful sand dunes in Charamel, Mauritius, are one of several places on Earth that resemble alien worlds. The striped sands are formed from volcanic rock but they remain a scientific mystery.
Charamel, Mauritius —
The colorful sand dunes in Charamel, Mauritius, are one of several places on Earth that resemble alien worlds. The striped sands are formed from volcanic rock but they remain a scientific mystery.
Courtesy Willem Van Zyl/Flickr
Temperatures on Devon Island are so cold that a crater there has hardly changed in the 39 million years since it was formed, making it a perfect Mars substitute for NASA.
Devon Island, Canada —
Temperatures on Devon Island are so cold that a crater there has hardly changed in the 39 million years since it was formed, making it a perfect Mars substitute for NASA.
NASA/Matt Deans
With enormous sand dunes and dried riverbeds cutting through an endless red and orange landscape, the Namib desert has also found work as a Mars subsitute for NASA.
Namib Desert, Namibia —
With enormous sand dunes and dried riverbeds cutting through an endless red and orange landscape, the Namib desert has also found work as a Mars subsitute for NASA.
GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty Images
It's normally one of the driest places on the planet -- a lunar terrain of lava flows and salt flats -- but when it does rain, South America's Atacama desert turns into an explosion of color, as this photo from space shows.
Atacama Desert, Chile —
It's normally one of the driest places on the planet -- a lunar terrain of lava flows and salt flats -- but when it does rain, South America's Atacama desert turns into an explosion of color, as this photo from space shows.
NASA/USGS
For centuries, people living near the flattop mountains of the Canaima National Park feared they were home to strange creatures. They were almost right.
Canaima National Park, Venzuela —
For centuries, people living near the flattop mountains of the Canaima National Park feared they were home to strange creatures. They were almost right.
FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images
Frozen for at least four months a year, Baikal's water is so clean that it forms ice that turns into shockingly vivid shades of blue.
Lake Baikal, Russia —
Frozen for at least four months a year, Baikal's water is so clean that it forms ice that turns into shockingly vivid shades of blue.
Alexey Trofimov/Solent News/REX/Shutterstock
Fogo Island is more or less one big volcano. It's still active, but 40,000 people live in its shadow, even cultivating grape vines in its craters.
Fogo Island, Cape Verde —
Fogo Island is more or less one big volcano. It's still active, but 40,000 people live in its shadow, even cultivating grape vines in its craters.
Rolfcosar/Wikimedia Commons
Senegal's tropical climate cultivates micro-algae that turns the extremely salty water of Lake Retba the color of strawberry juice.
Lake Retba, Senegal —
Senegal's tropical climate cultivates micro-algae that turns the extremely salty water of Lake Retba the color of strawberry juice.
Getty Images
The craggy black rocks of Grand Cayman's aptly named Hell are the product of an unusual interaction between limestone and a type of algae.
Hell, Grand Cayman —
The craggy black rocks of Grand Cayman's aptly named Hell are the product of an unusual interaction between limestone and a type of algae.
Cayman Islands Department of Tourism