Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
3 min of reading 
0 comments 
New NASA image shows the Richat Structure (Eye of the Sahara) from space with impressive details. Understand its origin and importance.
Released last Thursday (16), a new NASA image once again highlights the impressive Richat Structure, a formation located in the Sahara Desert, in Mauritania. The record, produced with data collected in March 2026 by the Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 satellites, showcases geological patterns that can only be fully perceived when analyzed from space.
Image from space highlights the “Eye of the Sahara”
In the midst of the vast arid landscape, the Richat Structure draws attention for its unusual circular shape. With about 40 kilometers in diameter, the formation has become known as the “Eye of the Sahara,” precisely because it resembles a giant iris when viewed from a high altitude.
The most recent image reveals well-defined circular bands, with variations in colors between orange and gray tones. These visual differences reflect the diversity of rocks present both in the structure and its surroundings.
-
Two cyclones are advancing over Brazil and, with ‘Chances of frost’, are causing heavy rains and drastically lowering temperatures over the weekend.
-
The largest fish in the world swims freely alongside tourists, and at night the sea emits its own light — this car-free Mexican island has become the Caribbean’s worst-kept secret…
-
He served 6 pharaohs, married the daughter of a king, and died at 65 years old — now his 4,400-year-old tomb has been rediscovered in Egypt by satellite…
-
Advanced analysis of Martian meteorites reveals chemical compounds and materials that no one expected and redefines the planet’s geological past.
How did the Richat Structure form?
For a long time, the circular shape led researchers to consider the hypothesis of a meteorite impact. However, more recent studies have shown that the explanation is different.
The formation is the result of a gradual geological process, which can be summarized as follows:
- Rocks were pushed up by underground volcanic activity;
- Over millions of years, erosion acted unevenly;
- This wear created the concentric rings visible today
This set of factors ultimately created the visible rings today, making the Richat Structure a unique phenomenon in the Sahara Desert.
A historic discovery that came from the sky
The formation has been known since the 1930s when French geographers described it and compared it to a “cufflink,” in reference to its circular shape.
Even so, it was only with space exploration that its true dimensions became evident. Decades after this first description, astronauts Ed White and James McDivitt captured images of the site during the Gemini IV mission, increasing scientific interest in the area.
In addition to its geological value, the surroundings of the Richat Structure also reveal important signs of human presence over time. The Adrar plateau concentrates traces that help tell part of this story.
Among the main records found are:
- Tools used by prehistoric populations
- Preserved rock paintings
- Remains of medieval cities linked to caravan routes
This combination makes the region a point where human past and natural transformations intersect.
NASA reinforces the importance of space observation
Observing the Richat Structure from the ground does not allow for an understanding of its complete shape. It is precisely the enlarged perspective, provided by satellite images, that reveals the circular organization of the formation.
For NASA, this type of record demonstrates how certain landscapes can only be correctly interpreted when analyzed on a global scale. In the case of the Sahara Desert, space technology helps expose a structure that, although on the Earth’s surface, remains practically invisible in its entirety to those on the ground.
Thus, the new image reinforces the ongoing fascination with the so-called “Eye of the Sahara,” one of the most striking examples of how observation from space transforms understanding of the planet itself.
With information from g1
Seja o primeiro a reagir!