This flaming “door to hell” in the middle of the desert has left Google Earth users baffled — and somewhat alarmed.
The blazing red crater is prominent on the map but, until now, many people didn’t have a clue what it is.
Turns out the spot is actually the Darvaza Gas Crater — one of the most bizarre places on Earth.
Also known as the “Door to Hell,” the site in the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan is a popular tourist site, thanks to its one-of-a-kind nature.
An enormous crater, the site has burned continuously since 1971, leaving scientists puzzled.
It has a 226-foot diameter and is 98 feet deep. Many are said to use it as a giant campfire.
Full of fire, boiling mud and huge orange flames, the site was named “Door to Hell” by locals.
The Darvaza Crater was created when the gas field collapsed into an underground cavern.
Soviet Union scientists were searching for oil in the area in 1971 and found the methane reserve which caused the area to collapse, releasing the gas.
Worried about the effects of the dangerous gas, the scientists set the gas alight to make the area safe.
However, the gas has been burning for more than four decades, even though scientists expected it to burn out after a few weeks.