An ancient cosmic attacker plunged into the Sahara 345 million years ago, completely annihilating an area the size of a city.
An analysis from the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI – USA) indicates that the mysterious eye-shaped structure captured by satellites in the Sahara Desert is the remnant of an ancient “cosmic killer.”
This eerie structure features a distinct pupil in the middle of the uninhabited desert in northern Chad, surrounded by “sclera”, where shifting sand dunes make the eye appear to be in motion.
The mysterious eye in the Sahara is the trace left by a cosmic attacker – (Photo: NASA).
Since being clearly photographed from space in 2013, scientists have worked diligently to understand what it is and to monitor its changes over time.
The latest results confirm that it is an ancient impact crater measuring up to 12.6 kilometers wide, featuring many “migrating sand dunes” that can shift as much as 30 meters each year.
The ancient impact crater in a panoramic view – (Photo: NASA).
The crater consists of two rings, creating the appearance of a large, round eye glaring like a wild beast: the inner ring features a hill or an undefined raised structure resembling a pupil; the outer ring resembles an eyelid.
The current rings reach heights of up to 100 meters above the surrounding ground, but this is due to erosion over time. Their original heights may have been significantly greater.
Experts believe that this structure formed about 345 million years ago and was likely created by a meteorite approximately 600 meters in diameter.
With such size, it would be what modern astronomers refer to as a “city-killer asteroid”, strong enough to completely wipe out a city if it were to strike Earth today.
Image depicting some migrating sand dunes within the “sclera” – (Photo: NASA).
345 million years ago, humans had not yet appeared. However, it is certain that the ecosystem at that time was significantly impacted by this truly catastrophic “falling from the sky” event.
This massive cosmic rock could have caused widespread damage across northern Africa and may even have triggered global climate effects.
The movement of shifting sand dunes in the desert is not unusual, but the complex structure created by the impact influenced the movement of the dunes, enhancing the overall eerie appearance.
The discovery of similar terrifying “scars” across the Earth’s surface motivates space scientists to design and upgrade planetary defense missions, as such impacts could occur again at any time.
