Earth as Art: NASA releases book of stunning satellite images
Richat Structure, Mauritania
Credit: KING
Viewed from space, the Richat Structure forms a conspicuous 50-kilometer-wide bull’s-eye on the Maur Adrar Desert in the African country of Mauritania. Described by some as looking like an outsized fossil, the feature has become a landmark for astronauts. Although it resembles an impact crater, the structure formed when a volcanic dome hardened and gradually eroded, exposing the onion-like layers of rock. In this 2001 Landsat 7 image, desert sands appear white and pale yellow at the top left and lower right corners of the scene. Less sandy, rocky areas are green, and volcanic rocks are blue.
Other News
Man convicted, freed in yogurt shop murders seeks money for prison time- Powerful video of storms in Austin
Travis Co. sheriff investigates double homicide
Scout leaders resign looking elsewhere after vote to lift ban on gays- Security video captures I-5 bridge collapse
- Undocumented workers face mass deportations, employers rarely punished
