An astronaut aboard the International Space Station captured an image of a strange lake in Bolivia. Known as Laguna Colorada, the oddly colored lake has a burnt orange hue and is dotted by pools of white borax deposits.
Its color is caused by the algae that live within the saltwater lake, though at times it makes the water appear green. The color changes are influenced by the algae’s response to the water’s salinity and temperature.
The entire lake measures six miles long and covers 15,000 acres. It is located over 14,000 feet above sea level in the Bolivian Andes Mountains.
According to NASA, this high altitude helps images taken of the area to be rather clear. This photo was shot with a Nikon D4 digital camera using a 400 millimeter lens.
Another unique feature of the lake is that it’s home to a rare species of flamingos, which feed on the algae.
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