Lake Carnegie, Australia

Copernicus Sentinel-2 captured this 'ghostly' image of Lake Carnegie in Western Australia. Lake Carnegie lies at the southwestern border of the Gibson Desert in the Shire of Wiluna in Western Australia, about 900 km northeast of the state capital, Perth.

Being a large ephemeral lake, Carnegie fills with water only after heavy rains, that are usually rare in the region. When full, its total area is around 5700 sq km, making it one of Australia’s biggest lakes. In dry times, it shrinks down to a muddy marsh.

This image was captured on 4 May 2024 after unusually high rainfall in Western Australia, making the lake easily seen from space.