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Rare 'sunglint' transforms Alabama River into a giant 'golden dragon'Earth from space A 2023 astronaut photo shows the moment the Alabama River briefly morphed into an undulating golden serpent, similar in shape to a Chinese dragon. This temporary transformation was the result of a rare mirror-like phenomenon known as a "sunglint."
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Trio of 'black mesas' leftover from Paleozoic era spawn rare sand dunes in the SaharaEarth from space A 2023 astronaut photo shows three dark hills, or mesas, towering above part of the Sahara desert in southern Mauritania. The structures are remnants of a single Paleozoic era formation, and have helped to create a series of striking sand dunes.
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Twin tornadoes tear perfectly parallel tracks through Mississippi during deadly 'superstorm'Earth from space A satellite photo from March shows a pair of parallel tornado tracks in Mississippi, leftover from a deadly storm system that spawned over 100 twisters in more than a dozen U.S. states.
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Extreme bloom of toxic algae swirls in Nevada's 'Pyramid Lake'Earth from space A 2024 satellite photo shows an unusually active bloom of toxic cyanobacteria swirling in the water of Nevada's Pyramid Lake. Research suggests that the algae has been blooming there for at least 9,000 years.
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Extreme 'paradise' volcano in Costa Rica is like a piece of ancient Mars on our doorstepEarth from space A 2025 satellite photo captures the stark contrast between the barren Poás volcano and the surrounding Costa Rican jungle. The volcano's super-acidic lake provides the perfect analog for studying how hardy microbes may have emerged on Mars billions of years ago.
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2-mile-tall, naked 'Marree Man' looming over Australian outback is a total mysteryEarth from space A 2019 satellite photo shows the recently resurrected "Marree Man" geoglyph, which mysteriously appeared in the Australian outback in 1998. Experts are still unsure who created it.
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Glowering 'skull' stares upward from a giant volcanic pit in the SaharaEarth from space A 2023 astronaut photo shows off an unusual cranium-like structure appearing to stare up into space from the floor of a large volcanic caldera in Chad.
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Pair of 'holy' islands in eerily green African lake hold centuries-old relics and mummified emperorsEarth from space A 2017 astronaut photo shows the islands of Dek and Daga lurking in the murky, algae-infested waters of Ethiopia's Lake Tana. Both islands are home to important monasteries, including the resting place of five mummified emperors.
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Shapeshifting 'braided river' in Tibet is the highest in the world, and is becoming increasingly unstableEarth from space A 2025 satellite photo shows a particularly complex section of the Yarlung Zangbo River as it twists its way through the Tibetan Plateau. This part of the "braided" waterway has experienced drastic visual changes over recent decades, which could soon be accentuated by climate change.
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