The only place on Earth that has the same terrain as Mars

Pictures taken on Mars posted by NASA on the website look quite like a desert on Earth.

Photographs on Mars taken by a rover vehicle called Perseverance have stirred the Internet community since NASA’s latest robotic technology landed on the “Red Planet” in February 2018. Despite being two different planets, Earth and Mars still have similarities. Some pictures on Mars look quite similar to those of Earth’s Atacama Desert, Chile. NASA has spent time and money exploring this Mars-like land. NASA’s ARADS team is experimenting with the original rover on Mars in the Atacama Desert in Chile in 2018. Photo: NASA. “You can argue that the Dry Valleys Valley in Antarctica or the northern central Atacama is the hottest place on Earth. However, some places in Atacama only rain every 20 years, even 100 years later, “said Brian Glass, a researcher at Atacama Rover (ARADS). This research uses the Atacama Desert to test field tools and techniques for future missions to Mars. Because the Atacama Desert resembles a dead and deserted land, NASA investigated and found it almost a “copy” of Mars. They have been testing rovers since 1997. The newest rover uses original tools, they try to find and detect life here. “Because if you can’t find life in one of the bariest places on Earth, don’t think about going to Mars looking for it,” explained Glass. The Atacama Desert stretches for more than 1,600 km in the northern half of Chile between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains. Glass says that to know how barren places like the Atacama Desert are, think about organic cues (such as life) to ambient noise. “The signal in the Mojave desert and remote parts of the US is still quite loud. You can still see shrubs, cacti, microorganisms, scorpions, insects; there is still an ecosystem there, ”said investigator Glass. Like Mars, the Atacama Desert has a harsh terrain with vast salt flats and towering volcanoes, including the most active mountain on Earth. Here, the night sky is very dark and has the largest astronomical observatories in the world. NASA investigated and found that this place is almost a “copy” of Mars. Photo: Mark Johanson. The driest place on Earth When scientists say Atacama is the driest place on Earth, they are referring to Yungay town. This town is about 88 km from the city of Antofagasta, NASA is doing research in this area. According to Mr. Glass, Yungay is a long valley with both sides of the hill being eroded by the wind. Land in Yungay is brown and quite barren, with no signs of life. In Yungay town there is a hand-carved statue of nearly 11 meters high. This statue, called Mano del Desierto, was placed near the town by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal in 1992. Although Yungay has long been considered the driest place in Atacama, recent research indicates that the title actually belongs to the Maria Elena South region, located about 273 km north of the nitrate mining town. Neither site has any facilities or attractions, but they are key points to the Atacama’s “emptiness” and similarities with Mars. Furthermore, because the McMurdo Dry Valleys Valley in Antarctica is particularly hard to reach, many scientists believe the valley is even drier. A hand-shaped sculpture of nearly 11 meters high is called the Mano del Desierto. Volcanoes and geysers While Mars is the “home” of the tallest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, the Atacama Desert contains the most active volcano on Earth, the Ojos del Salado. This gray-brown mountain is about 7,000 meters above sea level and is the second highest peak in the western hemisphere after Aconcagua in Argentina. However, this mountain’s permanent crater lake is said to be the tallest lake in the world. “When you look at this impressive mountain range, surrounded by volcanoes over 6,000 meters high, you will find yourself very small,” said Ercio Mettifogo, the adventure tour manager Puna de Atacama. To climb the top of Ojos del Salado, climbers do not need a lot of climbing techniques, although the altitude of the mountain is not small, but strong winds on the mountain up to 119 km / h and -29 degrees Celsius is definitely a challenge for surname. Most trekking takes place between November and April, the climbing period lasts 8 days for the climbers and 12 days for the amateur climbers. According to Mr. Mettifogo, Atacama Altiplano is often compared to the Tibetan plateau. The area near Mount Ojos del Salado, home to about 17 mountains over 6,000 meters high, has become a hub for adventure tourism. Farther north, near the tourist town of San Pedro de Atacama, another geothermal wonder of Atacama is the El Tatio geyser, dubbed the Yellowstone mini national park with 80 geysers of geysers that boil and smoke. raised suspicion. In the panorama of snow-capped volcanoes, El Tatio is the widest geyser region in the southern hemisphere and the tallest on Earth at 4,300 m altitude. El Tatio geysers are known as Yellowstone mini national park with 80 geysers of geysers boiling and smoke rising. Photo: Shutterstock. Salt beach and flamingos Much of the Atacama desert is barren like on Mars, but this land stands out with its beautiful salt-shoals, known as salares , with saltwater currents nourishing the life of a number of animals, including flamingos. There are many species of flamingos, including the rare Andes with yellow feet and black point wings, the smaller James flamingo with brick red feet and a bright yellow beak. In addition, the pinkest flamingo of all species is the Chilean flamingo. Chilean flamingos live in popularity along South America, stretching from Argentina to Ecuador. Pink-colored birds are easily found in Andes parks such as Los Flamencos National Reserve, near San Pedro and Nevado Tres Cruces National Park, near the city of Copiapó. “The salt beaches are also famous for the colorful lagoons,” said Gabriel Rojas of Turismo Atacamensis, guide taking tourists swimming in the turquoise lagoon in Salar de Pedernales, north of Nevado Tres Cruces National Park . There are also blood red, navy and emerald green pools in Pedernales, all connected on a three kilometer walking trail. Some scientists believe that, if humans do find signs of life on Mars, it would be historic salt ponds that formed in places like the Gale Crater and are believed to resemble what is found in the Altiplano of South America. A flamingo wades in a lagoon in the Los Flamencos National Reserve. Photo: Shutterstock. The clearest sky in the world The Atacama Desert is not only NASA’s test site for future Mars missions, but also where some of the most advanced planetary observations have been made on Earth. Northern Chile is home to about 70% of the facilities for Astronomy worldwide. The biggest projects in the 2020s including the Giant Magellan Telescope and the Extremely Large Telescope will all be set on bare hills over the next few years. “When night falls, silence and darkness will take over, it is unaffected by the lights and noise of the city, the place will turn into a path to heaven that makes you feel like can touch the universe, ”said Cristóbal Vergara, founder of Turismo Tembeta, a company that manages stargazing tours from the city of La Serena. The Elqui Valley, located on the southern edge of the Atacama Desert, has become a major center not only for scientists but also for stargazing lovers. “Along the mountains there is still mist from the Pacific Ocean, forming a few small clouds and making the sky clear,” Vergara added. To cater to your stargazing needs, there are nearly a dozen observatories near the Vicunã tourist center that are open daily for tourists wishing to see the stars in the hope of being able to get a closer look at Jackson Pollock’s sky. Many research facilities such as the Gemini South, Cerro Tololo, La Silla and Las Campanas are also open on weekends for visitors to visit. In 2015, the Elqui valley was named the world’s first International Night Sky Mecca. Thanks to that, the inns have transparent comfort to watch the stars begin to sprout like mushrooms, visitors can comfortably sleep under a starry sky. Turquoise lagoon in Salar de Pedernales, north of Nevado Tres Cruces National Park. Photo: Mark Johanson. Mr. Vergara said that the best part about stargazing here is that visitors are staring at “a place with great discoveries, technological advances and new astronomical discoveries that can help the future. hybrid of humanity ”. Atacama may not be as cold, harsh, or “alien” as Mars, but this land shows a “clone” of Mars right on Earth. Coming here to visit helps visitors to experience the feeling of traveling on Mars.