The Lut Desert
If heat and dryness are the hallmarks of a good desert, then the Lut Desert in Iran might just be the most deserty of the lot. Covering more than 50,000sq km in the southeast of the country, this region (also known as Dasht-e Lut) has recorded the hottest surface temperatures on Earth: in 2005, a reading of 70.7°C (159.3°F) was measured by satellite.1 That’s hot enough to fry an egg – quite literally. According to the Egg Safety Center, “Egg white coagulates between 144 and 149°F, egg yolk coagulates between 149 and 158°F and whole eggs between 144…