At 10,582 square kilometres, the Bolivian salt flats – otherwise known as Salar de Uyuni – are the largest on the planet and contain between 50 and 70% of the world’s lithium reserves. After exploring Chile and Argentina, photographer Joel Santos decided to travel to Bolivia in January 2017 to check the salt flats off his bucket list. With an electrical storm rolling in, Joel and his two travelling companions were the only souls left on the vast flats and captured the eerie flats without a person in sight. (Photo by Joel Santos/Barcroft Images)

Four pillars of light from the 4 Laser Guide Star Facility on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) are shown reaching into the Chilean night sky in this image from ESO Photo Ambassador Fred Kamphues, on September 2, 2016. The lasers are a key part of the adaptive optics system on the VLT. Adaptive optics allows astronomers to drastically reduce the atmospheric distortion present at even the best sites in the world for astronomy, including Paranal in Chile, the home of the VLT. (Photo by F. Kamphues/ESO)

A demonstrator shows her arm with the name “Marielle” written on it, as she performs during a protest against the murder of councilwoman Marielle Franco in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, March 20, 2018. Franco's murder came just a month after the government put the military in charge of security in Rio, which is experiencing a sharp spike in violence less than two years after hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics. (Photo by Leo Correa/AP Photo)

4-year-old Benji, making waves at Arpoador Beach in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil on December 12, 2024. The Jack Russell Terrier who began catching waves one year ago, has become a fixture along Rio's iconic Ipanema Beach. His skills not only impress fellow surfers but also delights beachgoers, who often pause to admire the bond between man and dog riding the surf. (Photo by Bob Karp/ZUMA Press Wire)

Taylor Swift fans wait for the doors of Nilton Santos Olympic stadium to open for her Eras Tour concert amid a heat wave in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, November 18, 2023. A 23-year-old Taylor Swift fan died at the singer's Eras Tour concert in Rio de Janeiro Friday night, according to a statement from the show's organizers in Brazil. (Photo by Silvia Izquierdo/AP Photo)

In this September 27, 2017 file photo, girls walk past a wall riddled with bullet holes from shootings between rival drug traffickers, at the Rocinha slum, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Violence is on the rise in Rio's slums after several years of decline, and the killings of kids have shocked even residents long inured to deaths from gangs and police. (Photo by Silvia Izquierdo/AP Photo)

A reveler and a child street vendor pose for a photo during the Banda de Ipanema Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, January 31, 2015. Rio's over-the-top Carnival is the highlight of the year for many local residents. Hundreds of thousands of merrymakers are beginning to take to the streets in open-air “blocos” parties. (Photo by Silvia Izquierdo/AP Photo)

A military police officer patrols in the Roquette Pinto shantytown, part of the Mare slum complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, April 1, 2015. The Brazilian army has begun to pull out of one of Rio de Janeiro's most violent slums, with police assuming responsibility for security in the area. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)