The sand dunes of the Atacama Desert in Chile – known as the driest place on the planet, covered themselves with a colorful carpet of white and purple flowers, NOVA reported.
The phenomenon is known as the “Blooming Desert” and is extremely rare, having last occurred in 2015.
The rains of the past few days have caused the delicate flowers to dissolve in the midst of winter, which is in full force in the Southern Hemisphere. More than 200 species of rare plants bloom in the Atacama. Normally, the seeds and bulbs hide from the hot sun underground, waiting for enough water to allow them to emerge above the surface.