8 fascinating things on earth you never knew existed

The earth is an amazingly strange place. The earth is filled with many strange and incredible things.

Here are a few things on this planet that you probably weren't aware of.

8 PHOTOS

1. Vantablack is the darkest known substance in the Universe.

Vantablack is a nanomaterial that is darker than any other substance on Earth. It was developed in the UK by Surrey NanoSystems in 2015 and is actually a collection of vertical carbon tubes that are "grown" on a substrate.

2. Airgel looks like a piece of a cloud.

Airgel is an ultra-light material made of gel and gas. It has been nicknamed "frozen smoke" or "solid cloud" due to its ethereal appearance.

3. Colombia has an underground cathedral made entirely of salt.

The Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral is an underground Roman Catholic church in Cundinamarca, Colombia, which was dug in a salt mine in 1954, is entirely composed of salt and is located 180 m below the surface of the small town of Zipaquirá.

4. Bismuth is an element with a psychedelic surface.

You may recall the chemical element bismuth from high school chemistry class, but you probably didn't know that it has a bright, iridescent appearance.

5. This volcano in Indonesia is spewing bright blue lava.

Technically, the lava itself is not blue. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the fascinating coloration is due to the large amount of sulfur gas that forms along with the lava. When the gas ignites, it burns with a bright hue that makes the lava appear electrically blue.

6. The most inaccessible place in the world is called Point Nemo.

Technically, the lava itself is not blue. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the fascinating coloration is due to the large amount of sulfur gas that forms along with the lava. When the gas ignites, it burns with a bright hue that makes the lava appear electrically blue.

7. Afar Basin - looks like the surface of an alien planet.

Located in the Afar Triangle, this surreal spot is dotted with crackling lava pools, neon hot springs, and glittering salt marshes. Poisonous gases circulate around hydrothermal fields, and many of the area's basins are filled with acid.

8. The ocean has underwater lakes and rivers.

Underwater lakes are bodies of water that have much higher salinity than the surrounding ocean. The tiny water is denser than the rest of the seawater, resulting in underwater lakes that appear separate from the surrounding sea.