The Eye of Africa — whose official name, the Richat Structure, seems so mundane in comparison — was spotted in central Mauritania by astronauts on early space missions. In the expanse of the Western Sahara Desert, the formation has a diameter of about 30 miles. At first, scientists thought a meteorite had hit the Earth, causing this impression. But now it is believed to be a symmetrical uplift that erosion has revealed. No one has explained yet why it is circular.
The mystery of the formation of Guelb Richat still called '' the eye of Africa '' by the astronomers, remains whole and is worth for many other scientific forwardings.
Several assumptions were considered: impact of a large meteorite, tectonic structure or convexity caused by the installation in the Precambrian rocks sediments of major origin. This last assumption is favoured today. The whole eye extends on 180 mile (350 km) and its pupil on 20 mile (40 km).
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