Great place in the middle of nowhere. Meteor Crater is located in located in Winslow, Arizona is a must see. This is a location where astronauts trained for their mission to the moon!
Meteor Crater (Barringer Meteorite Crater) formed 50,000 years ago when an asteroid plunged through the Earth’s atmosphere and crashed into what would become central Arizona. Because of the crater’s young age and the dry climate Meteor Crater is the best preserved impact crater on Earth.
You can easily spend hours here between the crater, movie, and museum. It is amazing how big it is. The astronaut and flag in the center puts it into perspective.
No humans were living in the region when the impact occurred. The asteroid was small in astronomical terms just a 150 feet (45.7 m) across. Traveling at around 8 miles per second (12.8 kps) the force of the asteroid impact on the ground was tremendous. In just a few seconds millions of tons of rock were flipped over and the great chasm was excavated.
From a distance the Arizona Meteor Crater looks like nothing more than a low ridge. It is not until one climbs the slope and reaches the top of the rim that the great chasm is revealed.
Today Meteor Crater is a famous tourist attraction with a museum featuring displays about the history of the crater and asteroid impact science.
Meteor Crater, AZ is also a wonderful laboratory for research by scientists who come from all over the world to study the crater. In order to preserve the site for future generations there is no hiking of the crater rim or interior allowed.
This landmark is so worth going to see. It was CRAZY WINDY but I survived.
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