Rub’ al Khali

(CN) — The European Space Agency's Sentinel-2A satellite captured photographs of the Arabian Peninsula's Rub' al Khali desert, the longest contiguous sand desert in the world.

ESA released the false-color images, which consist of yellow lines and dots that are actually massive sand dunes, on May 20.

The Rub' al Khali desert — also known as the "Empty Quarter" — features star dunes, which are symmetrical and pyramidal and result from swirling wind. They grow upward opposed to laterally and can reach 820 feet in height.

The desert can reach temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit and spans about 255,000 square miles across four countries — Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

J.J. Abrams used the Rub' al Khali desert for the desert world of Jakku in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

Players can travel to the Rub' al Khali desert in the recently released video game "Uncharted 4."

Photo: European Space Agency

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