General Knowledge
Earth or Not Earth Quiz
Some of these alien-looking landscapes are right here on Earth. Can you tell?
Some of these alien-looking landscapes are right here on Earth. Can you tell?
The island of Socotra off the coast of Yemen is so isolated that 37% of its plant species are found nowhere else on the planet, giving it an appearance so otherworldly that visitors often feel they have stepped onto another world. But Socotra is far from the only place on Earth that could pass for an alien landscape. From the sulfuric acid pools of Ethiopia's Danakil Depression to the crystal-filled caves of Mexico, our planet is full of scenery that looks lifted straight from science fiction.
Each round presents 10 randomized questions from a pool of 50, with four multiple-choice options and instant feedback after every answer. Your final score comes with a performance tier and shareable results.
You'll discover bizarre Earth locations that look like alien planets, learn about Martian canyons and volcanoes, explore the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and find out which Hollywood blockbusters used real Earth locations as stand-ins for other worlds.
Several places on Earth resemble alien worlds. Wadi Rum in Jordan doubled for Mars in the 2015 film The Martian. Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni creates a mirror effect so perfect it is used for satellite calibration. Ethiopia's Danakil Depression, with its sulfur springs and acid pools, looks like the surface of another planet entirely.
Ridley Scott's 2015 film The Martian used Wadi Rum in Jordan as the primary stand-in for the Martian surface. The desert's red sandstone cliffs and vast sandy plains closely resemble the terrain captured by Mars rovers.
The Martian surface features rust-red deserts of iron oxide dust, towering volcanoes like Olympus Mons (21.9 km tall), and the massive Valles Marineris canyon system stretching 4,000 km, roughly ten times the length of the Grand Canyon.
Last updated: April 2026