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10 April 2017 – Meteor, AZ

 

Meteor Crater Panorama

On our way, East across Arizona and only 6 miles from the Interstate lies the best-preserved confirmed meteorite strikes in the world.  A 4000-foot wide crater all that is left of the meteor which struck the earth 50,000 years ago.  It’s not an inexpensive stop costing us over $50 for the family but the site is unique and a landmark.

 

Lucas and Isabella studying Meteor Crater

The visitor’s center is well done with lots of interactive exhibits and a good description and recreations of the event plus some details of the geology.  There is a large section on the process proving it was a meteor strike as for a long time it was not confirmed and many thought it was a large steam eruption.

We walked the short route up to the top of the rim and looked down and across this massive scar on the earth.  It’s amazing to see it up close and then look at the photos of Venus and other planets on which their entire surface is marred by these events.  It really does make you appreciate how hospitable this planet is to our form of life.  Also interesting is that the actual strike is a further 700M below the surface – as the crater floor has been slowly filling over the last 50,000 years.