An unusual sight unfolded over the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth - the region was covered in snow.

The phenomenon is so rare that meteorologists confirmed that this was the first snowfall in over 10 years, writes Dailygalaxy.

The photo of the snow-covered desert landscape was taken by NASA's Terra satellite. The phenomenon is of particular interest to scientists, given the geography of the desert, which is influenced by the rain shadow effect of the Chilean Andes.

The Atacama Desert, located between the Andes and the Pacific coast of Chile, is extremely dry due to several factors, primarily the rain shadow effect created by the Andes. Rising over the mountain range, moist air from the Pacific Ocean cools and loses most of its moisture. By the time the air descends into the Atacama, it is already devoid of moisture, creating a dry, virtually lifeless landscape. | BGNES