NASA identifies lunar-like rock formation in Madagascar

NASA has released imagery of the Saririaky Massif in southern Madagascar, a rock formation approximately 100 square kilometers in size that contains anorthosite. This specific type of rock is significant because it is the same material that forms much of the bright regions visible on the Moon.

The image was captured on August 28, 2026, by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station. Scientists estimate the massif formed at least 600 million years ago through the cooling and solidification of magma beneath the Earth's surface, resulting in large mineral crystals.

Geologists suggest the surrounding rock deformations were caused by high temperatures and pressures during the formation of the supercontinent Gondwana. Researchers also hypothesize that another anorthosite massif located 60 kilometers to the north may have been separated from Saririaky by tectonic forces.