Simple facts
Where is it? Chiltepe Peninsula, Lake Nicaragua, Lake Managua [12.236943676, -86.34017745]
What do you see in the photo? Two volcanic lakes that look like pairs of eyes facing up
Who took the photo? Nameless astronaut on the International Space Station
When did you take it? January 21, 2014
This fascinating photo of the astronaut shows two volcanic lakes that appear to peer into space like unusual googly eyes from a skull-like peninsula of Nicaragua. This unusual scene, influenced by a subtle optical illusion, is completely indistinguishable from the ground level.
If these lakes are considered eyes, their heads are the Cirtepe Peninsula, a round land spreading across the waters of Lake Managua. It is known locally as Lago Xolotlán and covers an area of approximately 400 square miles (1,040 square kilometers) in the heart of Central America.
Located about 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Managua’s capital, the peninsula was formed by a series of pyroclastic shield eruptions. According to NASA’s Earth Observatory, during these explosions, mostly low-density materials such as pumice are expelled violently from beneath the surface. These major eruptions ended about 17,000 years ago. However, within the last two,000 years, more recent volcanic activity has occurred.
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A small lake (on the left) about 1.1 mile (1.7 km) wide is located within the Apoeëk Caldera. The large lake (on the right), known as Laguna Xiloa, is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) at its widest point. It was formed by an explosive explosion that occurred when magma from below interacted with submerged groundwater.
When viewed from space, lakes appear side by side. However, Lake Apoeèke’s surface is at an altitude of approximately 1,300 feet (400 m), while Laguna Xyloa is close to sea level. In other words, you will not be able to see both unless you are standing on the edge of the crater of Apoeek.
Related: See all the best images of Earth from Space
The two lakes are slightly different. Laguna Xiloa is dark blue, while Apoyeque is green. If these bodies of water are truly eyes, they become rare examples of heterochromia – rare conditions in which the human eye is a different colour.
At first glance, the two lakes have quite similar sizes and shapes. However, the lake in Apoeke is smaller and rounded than the Laguna Xiloa. The reason for this subtle fantasy is that the edges of the craters of Apoeek are much more closely aligned by the Laguna Syroa outline, and at first glance they appear more similar.
Explosive possibilities
According to the Smithsonian Association’s Global Volcanic Activities Program, Apoeke and Laguna Siloa are technically active volcanoes, but they have not erupted for thousands of years and are unlikely to do so anytime soon.
Laguna Syroa last erupted about 6,000 years ago, but since then Apoeeek had four major eruptions. These latest explosives are estimated to have occurred around 50 BC and have carved the shape of the crater that now holds the lake.
According to the Earth Observatory, in 2012, magma movement under Apoek caused a minor earthquake swarm. However, this was not a sign of an imminent eruption.
If a large volcano blows its peak, it could affect some of Managua’s inhabitants, putting residents of Bosque de Siroa, a small town on the coast of Laguna Siroa (see in satellite images).
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