Valle de la Luna in the Atacama Desert, Chile

Valle de la Luna in the Atacama Desert, Chile

 

Valle de la Luna in the Atacama Desert, Chile

 

The lunar landscape of Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) of the Atacama Desert is in the Cordillera de la Sal. It's a mountain subrange that's part of the larger Domeyko range, which itself rolls up into the Andes – it's like nesting dolls, but with mountains. This region's extreme arid climate and lack of discernible life approximate conditions on Mars. NASA tested the Rover vehicles here, and there are numerous astronomical observatories taking advantage of the altitude and clear skies. Some scientists think Martian life may look a lot like microbial life in the Atacama.

Not all life is tiny around here: The mountains and salt flats of Valle de la Luna are located within Los Flamencos National Reserve. The reserve consists of seven separate areas, some of which include lagoons and seasonal lakes that attract large flocks of the flying pink beauties.

 

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Lunar-Valley-Atacama-Desert

 

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