In the Sahara Desert, there is a large, eye-shaped landform called the Eye of Africa. From the ground, it is hard to see its shape because of sand and the large area it covers. However, from space, its circular shape is clear. It is located on the Adrar Plateau in Mauritania.
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir recently took a picture of this place from the International Space Station. She was part of Expedition 75. The formation is called the Richat Structure and is about 25 miles wide. Many astronauts have photographed it before, but Meir found the lighting and colors on this day special. She called it "pure Earth Art."
Astronauts Ed White and James McDivitt first saw and photographed the Richat Structure from space in 1965. At first, scientists thought a meteorite had created the circular shape. But later research showed this was not true. The formation was made over millions of years as molten rock pushed up from inside the Earth, creating a dome. Rain and wind slowly wore away the top of the dome.
The rings we see today are made of different types of rock that wore down at different speeds. Harder rocks like quartzite sandstone formed the high ridges, while softer rocks created the valleys. Some volcanic rocks in the area are between 94 and 104 million years old. This area was once part of the ancient supercontinent Pangaea.
People have also lived in this area for a very long time. Ancient tools and art have been found there. These early people did not know they were living in such a large, beautiful pattern. Today, the Eye of Africa is a remote place. Most people in Mauritania live far from the Adrar Plateau. The International Space Station continues to fly above, and the desert eye seems to look back.