Salar de Uyuni (Uyuni Salt Flats), Bolivia

Salar de Uyuni, or the Uyuni Salt Flats, are the world’s largest salt flats at 3,900 square miles (10,000 square km). The Uyuni Salt Flats are in the Daniel Campos Province in Potosí in southwest Bolivia, far from any major cities. With an altitude of 11,995 feet (3,656 meters) above sea level, visitors should take care in adjusting to the high altitude. The immense expanse of white salt that can easily be seen from space has a surface elevation of less than 1 meter, making it ideal for NASA and ESA to use for calibrating satellite radar altimeters. An EarthSky user explains the appeal of Salar de Uyuni: “Why is it a good place for stargazing? The lack of light pollution, clean air, huge night skies and visually breathtaking amazing surroundings of ethereal white beauty. The white salty surface is highly reflective and creates a mirror reflection of the night sky above.”

Posted 
July 1, 2016
 in 

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