Did you know that a meteor gave birth to Maharashtra’s Lonar Lake? 

You would probably know how lakes are formed. When a glacier moves back and forth across the land, scraping off the tops of hills taking rocks with it, lakes are formed. They may also be created by tectonic movements of the Earth’s crust or as a result of any volcanic activity. But do you know how Lonar lake was formed in Maharashtra? It came into being when a meteor hit the Earth. Yes, the Lonar crater lake is a Maharashtrian secret kept intact for 52,000 years.  

Origin of the lake  
Located in the small town in Buldhana district of Maharashtra, Lonar lake was formed around 52,000 years ago. For many years after its existence, people believed that the Lonar crater was formed because of a volcano due to its location in a basalt field made from volcanic rock that dates back to 65 million years.  

However, the presence of a glass-type material called maskelynite in the lake made them revise their theory. This material could only form from high-velocity impacts such as a meteor strike, according to scientists.  

Finally, it was figured out that a meteor weighing 2 million tonnes and travelling at a massive speed hit the ground making a hole 1.8 km wide and 150 m deep. Do you know that this crater is the world's third-largest and largest impact crater in India? It is also the best-preserved impact crater formed in basalt rock. 

Lonar: The folklore behind the name 
Well, ignoring the science, local people in the area have made their own myth. Locals think that the lake was formed when Lonasura, a mythical demon was pushed back into another world with tremendous force by Lord Vishnu as he used to harass and trouble the local people.  They claim that the crater was the demon’s den and that the lake’s murky water results from its spilled blood. And that’s how the lake got its name after Lonasura.  

Why does the lake turn pink?  
Do you know at times, Lonar lake turns reddish-pink, from its normal bluish-green? As per the experts, the most plausible reason behind this sudden change could be the salinity of the lake and the algae bloom.  

Scientists studying the lake have pointed out that the lack of rainfall, recedes the water level and therefore increases the salinity of the water. Thus, it eventually becomes a breeding ground for algae like Dunaliella, which is usually green in colour. But in high salinity and warm temperatures conditions, the algae changes its colour to reddish pink.  

Dunaliella produces pigment – carotenoids- the one responsible to give carrots their red colour. Therefore, the halobacteria in it use the reddish pigment to absorb light and convert it to energy, which entirely turns water into the same colour. 

Still a mystery  
However, scientists are still struggling to answer many questions about the lake. Here are some of them:  

• Why is the lake alkaline and saline at the same time?  
• Why does it support micro-organisms rarely found elsewhere on Earth?  
• Why do compasses fail to work in certain parts of the crater?