In northwest China lies the Taklamakan Desert - a remote area bordered by mountains on three sides. Not only do these mountainous areas create rain shadows in the region, they also block the blowing dust, causing sands to swirl and dunes to shift. In this image from the Suomi NPP VIIRS instrument taken on September 26, 2013, the sands can be seen blowing up to the mountain edges of the desert, creating a haze over the surface.