Martian-like Badlands, Desert Mountains, Sunset

A bit of Mars on Earth

The lunar landscape of Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) of the Atacama Desert is in the Cordillera de la Sal. It's a mountain subrange that's part of the larger Domeyko range, which itself rolls up into the Andes—it's like nesting dolls, but with mountains. This region's extreme arid climate and lack of discernible life approximate conditions on Mars. NASA tested the Rover vehicles here, and there are numerous astronomical observatories taking advantage of the altitude and clear skies. Some scientists think Martian life may look a lot like microbial life in the Atacama.