A photo published by NASA on Tuesday (31) shows a huge skull in the middle of the Sahara Desert. The photo was taken by an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS), and although it looks scary because it forms a shape resembling a giant skull, it is actually a strangely shaped volcanic crater.
The photo was shared on Halloween by NASA Earth Observatoryas a way to celebrate this date, but was captured on February 12 by an International Space Station crew member using only a Nikon D5 digital camera.
- The volcano in the picture Tru or NatronWhich is located in northern Chad;
- The crater is about 1,000 meters deep and has an irregular diameter of 6 to 8 kilometers;
- The white part of the skull is actually natron, which is a mixture of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, and sodium sulfate;
- The black parts of the skull’s eyes and nose are cinder cones accumulated from volcanic vents.
Volcano Tru or Natron It is located in the Tibesti Mountains, a mountain range considered the highest point in the Sahara Desert, at an altitude of about 2,450 meters above sea level.
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Despite being a hostile place, the area is home to an interesting biodiversity, which includes golden jackals, fennec foxes, gazelles, African wild cats, and many bird species. In addition, Tibesti is home to an ancient, semi-nomadic people called the Robo.
The reason for Tru or Natron The lack of well-known and scientific research of the area is due to the fact that the area is very wide and also dangerous, and is the scene of violent political conflict. The volcano is currently extinct, but it is not known how it formed or when it last erupted, only that it was a glacial lake 14 thousand years ago.
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