Meteor Crater, Az

[cnycharles]

moving northeast of flagstaff, az we drove across the flat desert looking for a big hole in the ground!
following signs we finally found the museum, gift shop and the crater left 50,000 years ago by a
150 yd-across slab of iron that fell from the sky. some meteorites don't make that much of a splash
when they strike the ground, but dense material like iron really makes a dent. i'm sure
everyone anywhere near this part of the country heard and felt this event. it is a bit pricey
to get inside the building to see the museums and go outside to the viewing areas to see
the crater, but what the heck it's very touristy and interesting! there is also a nasa exhibit
as astronauts practiced collecting 'moon soil samples' in the crater before heading up to the moon.

view from the platform behind museum

the very center of 'ground zero' of the meteorite strike

 

[SlipperFan]

Could you get down inside the crater, Charles?

 

[likespaphs]

groovy

 

[NYEric]

What is the area of the crater?

 

[likespaphs]

big


"Meteor Crater is nearly one mile across, 2.4 miles in circumference and more than 550 feet deep."

http://www.meteorcrater.com/

 

[cnycharles]

yes, it's big! i had to take like six or seven linked camera shots to make the one merged image (which was most of the way around the whole rim of the crater). dot, the viewing platforms barely go over the edge into the rim, and they have some viewing binoc platforms here and there. i'm not sure but there might be a trail around part of the edge of the rim ? but we were on time budget so wasn't a consideration so can't remember

interesting story involving part of the original meteorite - a few years ago someone managed to steal a 50 lb or so chunk of the meteorite that was found a few miles (!) outside of the crater after it had splashed upon impact. there was a tv documentary about the meteor impact and they showed the stolen block of iron. someone in michigan was watching the show, and thought they recognized the block of iron; someone had recently passed away and this chunk was in the estate sale and the buyer bought it to melt down, but had it holding down a portable basketball hoop. they called a local university who checked out the chunk and confirmed it was the stolen meteorite! it now rests comfortably (with cameras watching it) in the museum. the new owner thought they could get some bucks for it at the scrap yard because it was so heavy :rollhappy:

 

[jjkOC]

Very beautiful panoramic photos! Thanks for sharing!

 

[NYEric]

I guess they never saw the Andromeda Strain!!

 

[Clark]

jeepers