A NASA astronaut captured a stunning 600-million-year-old rock formation in Madagascar that shares a surprising geological connection with the Moon. A striking patch of bright rock in southern Madagascar has an unexpected connection to the Moon. Surrounded by rocks that were twisted and stretched by ancient geological forces, the formation contains anorthosite, the same type of rock that makes up much of the Moon’s bright highlands. Viewed from space, the unusual formation stands out against Madagascar’s dry, rugged landscape. Anorthosite is an igneous rock found in abundance on the Moon, where it forms the highly reflective regions known as the lunar highlands. These pale regions are so prominent that they can be distinguished from Earth without a telescope. Although closely associated with the Moon, anorthosite is also found in several places on Earth, including eastern Canada, Scandinavia, southern India, and Madagascar. In southern Madagascar, it forms a distinctive, roughly circular feature that is particularly noticeable in photographs taken from orbit. NASA Astronaut Captures Ancient Moon-Like Rock Formation On August 28, 2026, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station photographed the Saririaky anorthosite massif, a large body of rock exposed at Earth’s surface. Anorthosite forms when magma cools and solidifies beneath...

A NASA astronaut captured a stunning 600-million-year-old rock formation in Madagascar that shares a surprising geological connection with the Moon. A striking patch of bright rock in southern Madagascar has an unexpected connection to the Moon. Surrounded by rocks that were twisted and stretched by ancient geological forces, the formation contains anorthosite, the same type [...]

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station photographed a remarkable formation in Madagascar that looks surprisingly similar to the Moon’s bright highlands. Made of anorthosite, a rock abunda...

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station photographed a remarkable formation in Madagascar that looks surprisingly similar to the Moon’s bright highlands. Made of anorthosite, a rock abundant on the lunar surface, the formation dates back at least …

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station photographed a remarkable formation in Madagascar that looks surprisingly similar to the Moon’s bright highlands. Made of anorthosite, a rock abunda...

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station photographed a remarkable formation in Madagascar that looks surprisingly similar to the Moon’s bright highlands. Made of anorthosite, a rock abunda...

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station photographed a remarkable formation in Madagascar that looks surprisingly similar to the Moon’s bright highlands. Made of anorthosite, a rock abunda...

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station photographed a remarkable formation in Madagascar that looks surprisingly similar to the Moon’s bright highlands. Made of anorthosite, a rock abunda...

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station photographed a remarkable formation in Madagascar that looks surprisingly similar to the Moon’s bright highlands. Made of anorthosite, a rock abunda...

A bright, unusual patch of rock in southern Madagascar has a surprising connection to the Moon. Seen from space, the formation stands out against the surrounding dry landscape. Although it may look unusual on Earth, the same type of rock is widespread across the lunar surface. The rock, called anorthosite, is an igneous material that makes up much of the Moon's bright, reflective highlands. These light-colored regions are visible to the naked eye when looking at the Moon from Earth. Anorthosite is not exclusive to the Moon. Large deposits also occur in several regions of Earth, including eastern Canada, Scandinavia, southern India, and Madagascar. In southern Madagascar, one particularly striking deposit forms a roughly circular feature that is easily distinguishable from the surrounding terrain. NASA Astronaut Photographs Ancient Rock Formation On August 28, 2026, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station photographed the Saririaky anorthosite massif, a large body of rock exposed at Earth's surface. Anorthosite is classified as an intrusive igneous rock, meaning it forms when molten material cools and solidifies beneath Earth's surface. Because this cooling process takes place underground, the minerals have time to develop into relatively large crystals. Geological research suggests that the Saririaky formation originated...

Dr Zoja Vukmanovic, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia – contact me Dr William McCharty, University of St Andrews Dr Craig Magee, University of Leeds Dr Gareth Fabbro…

Nasdaq- and Frankfurt-listed Greenland Mines has exercised in full its option to acquire an additional 9.9% stake in Canadian anorthosite producer AnorTech, which owns the Gronne Bjerg project, in Greenland, taking its ownership take to 19.9%. Greenland Mines considers Gronne Bjerg a potential source of feedstock for US smelter-grade and high-purity alumina production in a market where net imports met an estimated 71% of US alumina consumption in 2025. AnorTech has also supplied anorthosite to space-sector researchers for use as a lunar stimulant. Greenland Mines is overall focused on building a critical materials platform spanning advantaged upstream assets in Greenland and US refining and manufacturing opportunities, supported by partnerships in allied jurisdictions. In this regard, AnorTech extends this "North Atlantic Critical Metals Corridor" by offering exposure to proprietary, patent-pending processes to produce sustainable smelter-grade and high-purity alumina from anorthosite without bauxite-residue tailings, generating saleable amorphous-silica and calcium silicate by-products, together with carbon dioxide emissions-free refractory cement, 3D-printable cement and alumina-based catalysts. AnorTech can also supply anorthosite for use in simulants, printable construction materials, refractories and resource-processing technologies - which is relevant to research on using the Moon’s own materials for construction and reducing the amount of material that must be...

A bright lens of anorthosite, a rock type prevalent on the lunar surface, is cradled within sheared rocks in the country’s south.

A bright lens of anorthosite, a rock type prevalent on the lunar surface, is cradled within sheared rocks in the country’s south.

A bright lens of anorthosite, a rock type prevalent on the lunar surface, is cradled within sheared rocks in the country’s south.

A bright lens of anorthosite, a rock type prevalent on the lunar surface, is cradled within sheared rocks in the country’s south.

A bright lens of anorthosite, a rock type prevalent on the lunar surface, is cradled within sheared rocks in the country’s south.

A bright lens of anorthosite, a rock type prevalent on the lunar surface, is cradled within sheared rocks in the country’s south. The post Moon-Like Madagascar first appeared on VibeWire Magazine.

Discover Magma UNESCO Global Geopark in southwest Norway, home to moon-like anorthosite rock, Trollpikken, Jøssingfjord and historic wooden towns.