The Red Planet

The people of Australia woke up on Mars earlier this week. This must have been cool to see

via CNN ireporter

Nope, that’s not the red planet. It’s Sydney, Australia, this morning.

Australians woke up today to an atmosphere of reddish-orange haze caused by a massive dust storm. The red cloud was worst in Sydney, but it extended all the way up to Brisbane, 12 hours north.

Australian iReporters are starting to get an idea of what life on Mars would be like. And, luckily for the rest of us, they’re sharing their experience! bennyz said it looks "like a chemical explosion." popstar28, who can usually see the Sydney opera house from his 36th floor balcony, says all he can see now is orange. "I could smell it before I knew what was happening," he said, adding that many people were wearing masks to go outside. "I thought the world was ending."

Experience what it's like to "wake up on Mars" – according to halans – in these captivating photos and video.