Eerie green swirls transform Nevada lake into ‘witches’ brew,’ satellite images show
What looks like a giant witches’ potion you can see from space brewed in a northwestern Nevada lake in the weeks leading up to Halloween, satellite images show.
NASA Earth shared a photo of the spooky view at Pyramid Lake to Instagram Oct. 29.
“Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble,” the agency said. “No, this isn’t a witches’ brew! These swirls are blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria.”
The photo was captured Oct. 8 by the Landsat 9 satellite, the agency said.
“The lake experiences similar blooms almost every year. But this bloom in 2024 became one of the most active blooms seen in years, according to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Water Quality Program,” the agency said. “The bloom continued to expand and discolor the water and may have reached its peak around October 15.”
The 125,000-acre lake is just across the California border, almost a 400-mile drive northwest from Las Vegas.
