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Asteroid Photo Reveals Skull Formation in Chad's Caldera

10/29/2025

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Summary

Story summary

In 2023, an astronaut photograph reveals a skull-like structure inside Trou au Natron caldera in Chad's Tibesti Massif.
The skull-shaped feature sits in a 3,300-foot-wide pit formed by a massive eruption.
Dormant since its formation, the caldera's natron floor gives a flaky appearance.
Fossils of sea snails and plankton beneath the natron date to 14,000–120,000 years ago.
Nearby Tarso Toussidé is thought to be volcanically active.

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Story summary

In 2023, an astronaut photograph reveals a skull-like structure inside Trou au Natron caldera in Chad's Tibesti Massif.
The skull-shaped feature sits in a 3,300-foot-wide pit formed by a massive eruption.
Dormant since its formation, the caldera's natron floor gives a flaky appearance.
Fossils of sea snails and plankton beneath the natron date to 14,000–120,000 years ago.
Nearby Tarso Toussidé is thought to be volcanically active.