The Richat Structure photographed by an astronaut from 250 miles up on the International Space Station on July 17. (NASA/Roscosmos via SWNS)
By Dean Murray via SWNS
Jaw-dropping images taken from space shows a vast eye-shape gazing up from the desert.
The so-called Richat Structure was captured by an astronaut from 222 miles up on the International Space Station (ISS).
Taken on July 17, the pictures detail the 25-mile-wide geological formation in the Sahara desert in the African country of Mauritania.
The Richat Structure photographed by an astronaut from 250 miles up on the International Space Station on July 17. (NASA/Roscosmos via SWNS)
Although it resembles an impact crater, the Richat Structure formed when a volcanic dome hardened and gradually eroded, exposing the onion-like layers of rock.
The structure is also the location of exceptional accumulations of Acheulean archaeological artifacts. It was selected as one of the 100 geological heritage sites identified by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) to be of the highest scientific value.
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