Moon on Earth: 5 Stunning Places That Resemble the Lunar Landscape

Moon on Earth: 5 Stunning Places That Resemble the Lunar Landscape (Image: Canva)

There are a few places on earth so austere, desolate and dramatic in appearance as to be obviously lunar. Deserts, with endless sands, rugged landscapes, and eerie salt flats, make the travellers feel like entering a different world. These are five amazing places on Earth that resemble the surface of the Moon tremendously.

Wadi Rum, Jordan
Wadi Rum is a large reserve in Jordan in the southern region known as the Valley of the Moon. Its lunar-like atmosphere is made up of dramatic sandstone mountains, red sands, and resonant canyons, which have been exploited in many films set in space.

Atacama Desert, Chile
The Atacama Desert is among the driest regions on earth, and the scenery of the area creates an appearance of the dry surface of the moon. Its volcano-bordered horizons, salt flats and jagged rocks give it popularity among both astronomers and adventure seekers.

White Desert, Egypt
The White Desert of Egypt is known due to its surreal chalk rocks, which have been formed due to erosion by wind over the centuries. The terrains are also powdery white forms and mushroom-shaped structures that form an alien atmosphere that takes one back to the rough plains of the moon.

Namib Desert, Namibia
It is so expansive, with dunes, salt plains, and barren rocky outcrops, to give us the sense of the moon like no other place. It's moving sands, and the dramatic colour in the sunrise and the sunset makes the impression of walking on a different planet stronger.

Death Valley, USA
Death Valley in California is the lowest and hottest point in North America. The salt flats, eroded canyons and rolling dunes provide the visitors with a moonscape on earth worth exploring and taking shots.

All these locations not only have spectacular views, but they also have very rare ecosystems and geological formations. They have emerged as attractive locations among filmmakers, scientists and travellers in search of scenery that is not ordinary. A visit to these landscapes can provide the visitor with a better appreciation of the variety and extremes of our world, as well as inspire the imagination of just what it would feel like to step on the Moon itself.