Earth or Mars? Check Out the Eye of the Sahara From the ISS

The Eye of the Sahara, aka the Richat Structure, is a geologic wonder viewable from space, and a favourite photo opportunity for astronauts.

Recently, European Space Agency’s (ESA) Thomas Pesquet, who is currently working on the International Space Station (ISS), took a series of must-see pictures that show the reddish-orange landscape stretching beyond the horizon. Pesquet says it felt like he was flying over Mars.

What's more interesting, the area was once rumoured to be the land of a mythological nation. In 2018, YouTube blogger Jimmy Bright insisted that the Richat Structure was the most likely location of Atlantis. Surprisingly, this theory has never been proven.

Check out Sputnik's gallery to see Pesquet's jaw-dropping snaps.

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Scientists believe the stunning sight was formed due to subsurface flow pushing up overlying layers of sandstone and other rocks.

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...so after the volcanism died down, wind and water erosion started to eat away at the domed layers of rock. As a result, the area began to collapse in on itself.

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A collage of pictures showing the Richat Structure.

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An aerial shot over the Eye of the Sahara, also known as the Richat Structure, which is located in western Africa.

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A city on the northwest coast of Africa.

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"I had to do a double-take when I saw this view. Not Mars but our own amazing planet," Pesquet said.

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If there is one picture that is a cliché for astronauts in space, it is the the Eye of Sahara.

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A breathtaking view of the Richat structure.