The sunniest spot on Earth is the Altiplano in the Atacama Desert, an arid plateau near the Andes in Chile that receives as much sunshine as Venus.
While this sunny patch, at about 13,120 feet (4,000 meters), is naturally cool and dry, it gets more sunshine than places closer to the equator or at a higher altitude, according to a study published July 3 in the Journal of the American Meteorological Society.
What is the sunniest place on Earth? You wouldn’t expect it to look
The Atacama Desert is special for several reasons, as it is the oldest desert on Earth, the driest desert outside the poles and perhaps the clearest place to watch the night sky.
The Chilean Altiplano is also notable for its solar radiation, or the output of light energy emitted from the Sun to Earth. Scientists measured the world record at plateau at 2,177 watts per square metre.
For comparison, the radiation level at the top of Earth’s atmosphere is about 1,360 watts per square metre, according to the study.
