Simple facts
Where is it? Lake Iro, Chad [10.10150087, 19.41766527]
What do you see in the photo? Sunlight reflected from the lake and surrounding rivers
Who took the photo? Nameless astronaut (ISS) on the International Space Station
When did you take it? December 21, 2024
This stunning astronaut photograph illustrates an unusual phenomenon known as the “sanglint,” transforming the potential meteor crater lake into a giant silver mirror in the heart of Africa.
Locally known as Luck Iro Lake Iro is a body of water (12 km) of Chad, located about 60 miles (100 km) north of the border with the Central African Republic. The lake is located in the heart of Africa’s Sahel region. This is the broad savanna separating the Sahara Desert from the rainforests of Central Africa.
The IRO is partially surrounded by Bahr Salamat, a 125-mile-long waterway that divides and feeds the lake. According to NASA’s Earth Observatory, the river is notoriously windy.
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The river lakes and large sections of the river shine brightly in the image as sunlight reflects watery surfaces and gives them a metallic sheen. If you look closely, it appears that some of its surfaces have a whiter colour than the rest. These areas are probably reflections of clouds hanging above the lake.
This phenomenon is known as sanglints and occurs only when the observer is in perfect alignment with the sun, compared to objects that reflect light. As a result, this effect is most observed from space.
Related: See all the best images of Earth from Space
Unlike satellites with fixed views, astronauts are particularly suitable for capturing sanglints, as they can change angles compared to reflective objects. In recent years, ISS residents have discovered large sanglints around a pair of Greek islands. This reveals some extraordinary marine phenomena, and depicts another depicting a “sea of clouds” on a volcanic lake between the nests of Russian volcanic sails.
I suspect that it is an impact crater
Recent research suggests that it could be found in the rest of the ancient meteor impact craters since the time a large-scale space rock was smashed by Earth millions of years ago.
This theory was first submitted in the 1980s, when geologists discovered ancient crystal bits in the rocks surrounding a lake, according to a 2014 study reviewing Africa’s impact structures.
In a more recent study published in 2024, researchers investigated the geological features of Lake IRO. They pointed out that the impact could have significantly changed the shape and orientation of the bar salamat.
Lake IRO is also very cyclical. This means that its depth fluctuates seasonally and can be drained almost completely during periods of extreme drought.
Based on this evidence, researchers from the latest research write that IRO lakes “cannot be easily explained by any other process.” [a meteor] Impact. “
More research is needed to see if this is true, and this should be a “priority” due to its size. The researchers added that evidence of the impact may be well preserved by the lake.
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