The planet has always had special and unique attractions that dazzle the eyes of every visitor. Some of these attractions seem to have come from other planets.
Earth has many strange and wonderful places. For years, humans have dreamed of traveling to distant worlds. The design of the manned mission “Amitis 2” to the moon is one of the plans that can prepare mankind for a trip to Mars. This trip will take place in the late 2030s or early 2040s.
Visiting amazing places on earth gives us the feeling of stepping into another planet. You don’t have to travel by spaceship to experience them; A passport and plane ticket are enough. Some of the most surreal attractions can be found on Earth, from glaciers and deserts to volcanoes and caves. In this article, we introduce some of the most special landscapes of the planet earth.
Extraterrestrial places that will thrill you:
large prismatic fountain; Yellowstone National Park
Grand Prismatic Spring is located in Yellowstone National Park. Manshuri spring is known as one of the most important spa springs in the world. This spring is very popular and famous among photographers and tourists. Grand Prismatic spring has different color spectrum and its diameter is estimated between 60 and 90 meters. According to the experts of Yellowstone Park, the depth of the spring reaches 35 meters.
The Grand Prismatic Spring with very hot water is a favorite habitat of microscopic organisms such as “thermophile”. (Thermo means heat and Phil means friendly). Colorless or yellow thermophiles live in warmer waters.
Photographer: Peter Adams
Wadi Rum; Jordan
“Wadi Rum” is a desert with an area of 717 square kilometers, which is located in the south of Jordan. In this desert, there are wide and sandy valleys with a height of about 1700 meters. The red hills and stunning natural structures of this area are as if you have stepped on Mars. Many famous people have spoken about this amazing place and some famous movie scenes have been shot in this area. Thomas Edward Lawrence described this area as vast, echoing and god-like. Lawrence wrote a book about his time as an officer in those areas, which was later made into the famous movie “Lawrence of Arabia”. Some scenes of this famous movie were also filmed in Wadi Rum.
Photographer: Ratnakorn Piyasirisorost
Vakhtanayokut natural glacier; Iceland
“Vatnajokull” glacier with an area of 8,100 square kilometers constitutes about eight percent of the total area of Iceland. This glacier is the second largest glacier in Europe. Vakhtanayokut glacier is more than 900 meters deep in some places and has several active volcanoes in its heart. According to geologists, some of the most famous volcanoes in the region such as “Bárðarbunga” and “Grímsvötn” may be active in the next 50 years. Due to the increase in global temperature, Wakhtenayokut is getting smaller every year, so that in the last 15 years, its thickness has decreased by about 0.9 meters; Nevertheless, Vakhtanayokut Glacier still hosts tourists and enthusiasts in winter with its fascinating ice caves.
Photographer: Andrea Comi
Waitomo Firefly Caves; New Zealand
In the heart of the earth, somewhere in New Zealand you can find the night sky in the heart of a dark cave. The Firefly Cave is where you can touch this experience. “Waitomo Cave” is similar to an environment that appeared directly from science and fiction movies before our eyes. You can explore the Waitomo Caves by boat, kayak or on foot and gaze at the thousands of glowing fireflies that inhabit these caves. These fireflies produce light through a chemical reaction from their bodies.
Photographer: Matteo Colombo
salt desert of Salar Do Youni; Bolivia
The world’s largest salt pan with an area of more than 10,000 square kilometers is located in Bolivia. Salar de Uyuni salt flat is so vast that it can be seen even from space. This salt flat reaches a depth of 10 meters in its center and there are about 10 billion tons of salt in the heart of this huge salt flat. The interesting thing to note in this salt field is the existence of about 70% of the world’s lithium reserves under this huge expanse of salt. The salt flats of Bolivia are an attractive and surprising destination for those interested in special places on the planet.
Photographer: StreetFlash
Sassuolo; Namib desert
The red and high hills of “Sossusvlei” are among the highest sand dunes in the world, the height of each of them can reach about 400 meters. These hills can be considered one of the most visited attractions in Namibia. Sassuolo is similar to the surface of Mars and is located in Africa’s largest protected area, the Namib National Park. The meaning of the name of this strange and beautiful attraction is “dead end” and the reason for its name is that the hills prevent the river from flowing.
The main factor in the creation of “Sasusoli” sand dunes has been the wind from the distant past. The dust that created these hills with the help of the wind was carried by the Orange River, which is the longest river in South Africa. Then they flowed into the Atlantic Ocean. After reaching the ocean coast, this dust was carried by the wind and deposited on the desert in the form of these hills.
Photographer: James Strachan
Hillier Lake; Australia
Lake Hillier is located on the Middle Island of Australia. This lake definitely looks like a place from another planet. There is a striking contrast between the pink lake, the dark waters of the Indian Ocean and the surrounding green forest. This lake is famous for its pink color. According to the investigations, microscopic algae that secrete red pigments can cause the lake to turn pink. Lake Hillier, with a length of about 600 meters and a width of 250 meters, can be one of the most amazing attractions.
Photographer: Lindsay Imagery
National Park Linsweiss Marines; Brazil
“Lençois Maranhenses” National Park has a vast expanse of white sand dunes that create an extraterrestrial and attractive landscape. Linsuez means “sheet” in Portuguese and refers to these beautiful white sand dunes. From May to September, rainwater fills the pools surrounded by these white sand dunes, according to the Lonely Planet website. This enchanting landscape has an area of more than 70 km along the coast and more than 50 km inland. The best time to visit this fascinating and extraterrestrial region is June, July and August.
Photographer: Ignacio Palacios
Danakil desert; Ethiopia
“Gate of Hell” is the name given to one of the most uninhabitable and extraterrestrial regions of the planet. “Danakil Depression” is probably the most similar experience to walking on other planets. This area is seen somewhat similar to the surface of the planet Venus. Danakil desert has an air full of sulfuric and chlorine acid gases, and acid pools and hot springs are scattered throughout this landscape.
According to the surveys conducted in the Danakil region, the air temperature is continuously estimated at 45 degrees Celsius, which can make it one of the hottest regions on earth. Danakil Depression is located in one of the “Rift” valleys. These types of valleys are formed when the tectonic plates are separated and the volcanic activity below them creates this landscape at the border of the plates. According to NASA reports, some features of the Danakil Depression can be seen from space.
Photographer: KrasnovaE
Kilauea Volcano; Hawaii
Hawaii Island always has countless surprises for travelers and visitors; One of the most important attractions, which has a special and unique beauty, is Kilauea Volcano, this volcano is located on the southern coast of the Big Island of Hawaii, about 72 km from the booming city of Hilo, and its lava flows into the Pacific Ocean. , creates a stunning view along the rugged coastline.
According to the surveys, Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It has been continuously erupting since 1983, and during this time, its lava flows have covered an area of over 100 square kilometers, and almost 200 houses were destroyed by this lava.
Photographer: Eachat
Pamukkale; Türkiye
“Pamukkale” is one of the special and eye-catching areas in Türkiye, which is also known as “Cotton Castle”. This naming and metaphor is because the white platforms and ridges surround the mineral pools and look like cotton. Pamukkale was created by a spring that has a high concentration of the element “calcium bicarbonate”, and the same calcium deposits gave rise to today’s forms. Tourists from all over the world travel to Türkiye to touch this beauty and its mineral springs. In Iran, there is a similar attraction with its stunning beauty, which is known as “Badab Surat” and is located in the Chahardange district of Sari in Mazandaran province.
Photographer: David C Tomlinson
Rainbow Mountain; Peru
“Rainbow Mountain” stands out in the Andes mountain range of Peru at an altitude of 5,200 meters above sea level. This mountain has different colored streaks formed by mineral deposits. Rainbow Mountain is also known as Vinicunca. Until recently, this jewel of the Andes was hidden under a blanket of snow; But with the melting of the snow, it rose and now it is one of the most important attractions in Peru.
Photographer: ViewApart
Kava Aijen Volcano; Indonesia
Somewhere on this planet, looking at the Kawah Ijen volcano, you will see blue rivers that seem bright and even have an electric current; It seems that these blue rivers flowed from another planet to the earth. These blue streams are flowing in the path of the lava of the volcano. According to the investigations conducted on these rivers, it was found that the lava itself is not blue; Rather, the sulfur gases emitted from it, when they combine with a lot of oxygen on earth, catch fire and burn with a blue flame. These flames create a beautiful and stunning sight at night.
Photographer: mazzzur
Han Son Dong Cave; Vietnam
The world’s largest cave named Han Son Doong is located in the heart of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. According to the provided statistics, the average size of the passages of this cave is 67 meters and the average height of the cave is estimated to be about 200 meters. The width of this huge cave is about 150 meters. In 2019, an underground water tunnel was discovered in this place, which significantly increased the average size of Sun Dong Cave. This extraterrestrial cave is so big that it can fit a large block of New York City with 40-story skyscrapers; Also, the largest stalagmites in the world can be seen in this cave, which are sometimes up to 80 meters long.
Photographer: Geng Xu
Fly geyser; America
With the combination of human error and the heat pressure of the earth, a special phenomenon was created. “Fly Geyser” is a colorful hot spring that stands out in the middle of the Nevada desert. This man-made structure sprays hot water out, creating shallow pools that are home to thermophilic, thermophilic algae. The way this area was built was that in 1964, a company that worked in the field of geothermal energy; tried to access the underground hot water; After that, this place was excavated; But after digging, they found that the water was not hot enough, so they sealed the place and it was useless until the well was not fully closed, and hot water came out of the ground and created such a strange spring.
USA, source: space, photographer: Jeremy Woodhouse” loading=”lazy”/>
Photographer: Jeremy Woodhouse
Extraterrestrial attractions can be much more than this list; If you also know special and unique attractions, introduce them to us and our friends.
Source of all photos: website space.com
Cover photo: Vakhtanayokut Glacier; Source: space; Photographer: Andrea Comi
Frequently asked questions
What are the most famous extraterrestrial places?
Grand Prism Spring, Wadi Rum, Wakhtenayokut Glacier, Waitomo Caves, Salar de Yoni Salt Desert, Sassuolo, Lake Hillier, Danakil Desert, Kilauea Volcano, Pamukkale, Rainbow Mountain, Kava Aijen Volcano, Han Son Dong Cave and Fly Volcano
Where is Pamukkale located?
Pamukkale is located in Türkiye, and its similar example, named Badab Surat, is located in Chahar Dange Sari, Mazandaran Province, Iran.
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