NASA captures China's Taklimakan Desert covered in snow. Deserts are beautiful in general - and if you cover one with snow, it'd look even more spectacular. Recently, NASA’s Aqua satellite was able to capture a stunning sight as it passed over the Taklimakan Desert in China. A storm from December 26th had left the area covered in snow. NASA was able to capture the image shortly after the blizzard on January 2nd. A local television station claimed that the desert region was one of the areas that was hit the hardest. The Taklimakan desert is said to be one of the hottest sandy deserts. Water from a nearby basin has no outlet, meaning the sand can pile up to 1,000 feet high in some areas. The annual rainfall is less than 1.57 inches.There is another desert in western Egypt that looks more like a snowy plain. The White Desert gets its name from large amounts of chalk in its sands.Besides an eerily beautiful panorama, there are fascinating chalk formations in the desert.