Two images of Lake Lonar, in the Indian state of Maharashtra, show a confusing transformation. In May 2020, the water looks green; in June, it turns pink. The satellite observations presented by NASA make it possible to locate the change without relying only on memories of visitors.
The lake occupies a crater formed by a meteorite impact. Its salt water provides a favorable environment for certain microorganisms, and conditions can change with evaporation and water supplies. In its June 2020 report, NASA describes several explanations then examined for staining, including the possible role of organisms adapted to high salinities.
It would therefore be misleading to turn this observation into an assertion that a meteorite dyed the water pink at the time of the change. The crater is much older. The astonishing fact, solidly visible, is the rapid metamorphosis of a lake that one might think immutable: its color also tells the life and chemistry present in its water.
What we know
Color change observed in 2020; causes then presented as tracks, not universal certainty for all pink lakes.
To go to the source
References consulted on 3 October 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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