Earth's Alien Landscapes (PHOTOS)

PHOTOS: Visit Another Planet Without Leaving Home
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The globetrotting gang over at Lonely Planet strapped into their imaginary Buck Rodgers rocket ships and took off only to land right in their own backyard.

Normally that would be embarrassing, but it appears good ole planet Earth still has a few otherworldly surprises up her sleeve as is evidenced by the out-of-this-world landscapes pictured below.

Cappadocia, Turkey (01 of20)
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Ancient rock houses intermingled with modern houses in Cappadocia, Turkey. (credit:Flickr:Alaskan Dude)
Cappadocia, Turkey(02 of20)
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Rock houses and Fairy Chimneys near Goreme where valleys of cascading cliffs, and labyrinthine underground cities, Cappadocia is outer space as it might have been imagined by Jim Henson: picturesque and endearing. (credit:Flickr:Alaskan Dude)
Cappadocia, Turkey(03 of20)
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Undulating patterns in the Cappadocia landscape. (credit:Flickr:Alaskan Dude)
Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon), Chile(04 of20)
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Buzz Aldrin could have been talking about Chile's Valle de la Luna when he described the moon's 'magnificent desolation'. (credit:Flickr:Phillie Casablanca)
Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon)(05 of20)
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Strange lunar landforms eroded by eons of wild weather crowd the horizon; bleak dunes and distant volcanoes amp up the surreality. (credit:Flickr:Phillie Casablanca)
Lake near Myvatn, Iceland(06 of20)
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The starkly beautiful and gloriously strange landscapes around Mývatn will make you question what planet you're on. (credit:Flickr:Jennie Faber)
Lake near Myvatn, Iceland(07 of20)
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Dotted with dramatic steaming fumaroles, bubbling mudpots, weird rock formations and lava fields, Iceland is a sci-film waiting to happen. (credit:Flickr:sly06)
Canyonlands, Utah(08 of20)
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Canyonlands in southeastern Utah give the Red Planet a run for its intergalactic money with their rugged arches, bridges, needles, spires, craters, mesas and buttes. (credit:Flickr:Bitterroot)
Canyonlands, Utah(09 of20)
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Touch down in high summer for that extra blast of Martian intensity. (credit:Flickr:Bitterroot)
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia(10 of20)
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This immense, shimmering sea of salt will haunt daydreams for years to come. (credit:Flickr:gringaespanola)
Arbol de Piedra, Bolivia(11 of20)
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This volcanic rock formation in Desierto Siloli resembles a lone tree set in a sea of sand. (credit:Flickr:Phillie Casablanca)
Lanzarote, Canary Islands(12 of20)
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The extraordinary volcanic moonscape of central Lanzarote would make Armstrong and Aldrin feel right at home. (credit:Flickr:sbegueria)
Lanzarote, Canary Islands(13 of20)
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The glowing green waters of El Golfo Crater might even tempt them to shrug off those cumbersome spacesuits and go for a paddle. (credit:Flickr:sbegueria)
Nazca Lines, Peru(14 of20)
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Deep in desolate desert, and only visible from the airOne of Peru's most impressive and enigmatic sights, the mysterious Nazca Lines could easily be mistaken for the doodlings of ancient astronauts. (credit:Flickr:funkz)
Nasca Lines, Peru(15 of20)
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(credit:Flickr:Christian Haugen)
Great Barrier Reef, Australia(16 of20)
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The shot from space only hints at the alien landscape awaiting under the water's surface. (credit:Flickr:eutrophication&hypoxia)
Great Barrier Reef, Australia(17 of20)
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(credit:Flickr:Sarah_Ackerman)
Great Barrier Reef, Australia(18 of20)
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Plunge beneath the waves into the technicolour parallel universe that is the Great Barrier Reef. (credit:Flickr:babasteve)
Nubra Valley, Ladakh, India(19 of20)
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Sometimes known as 'Moonland', Ladakh is bound by mountains and comprised of mountains. (credit:Flickr:stevehicks)
Nubra Valley, Ladakh, India(20 of20)
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Human habitation is sparse, and during the wild winter months, the region is only marginally easier to reach than the moon itself. The imposing, inhospitable Nubra Valley is its wild lunar heart. (credit:Flickr:stevehicks)

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