Arizona’s is 50,000 years old…

Arizona’s Meteor Crater—also known as Barringer Crater:

🌍 What is it?

Meteor Crater is a massive impact crater located in the northern Arizona desert, about 37 miles east of Flagstaff and near the town of Winslow.

🕰️ How old is it?

It formed about 50,000 years ago during the Pleistocene epoch, when a nickel-iron meteorite about 160 feet (50 meters) in diameter slammed into the Earth at an estimated speed of 26,000 mph (42,000 km/h).

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💥 The impact

The explosion released energy equivalent to about 10 megatons of TNT.

It created a crater 0.75 miles (1.2 km) wide and about 600 feet (180 m) deep.

Over time, the depth has filled in slightly with sediment, but the structure remains incredibly well-preserved.

👨‍🔬 Scientific significance

First recognized as a meteorite impact crater by mining engineer Daniel Barringer in the early 1900s. He was the first to propose that a meteorite—not volcanic activity—caused it.

It was one of the first craters confirmed to be formed by extraterrestrial impact, which helped scientists understand planetary cratering processes.

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🧭 Today

The site is privately owned by the Barringer family.

It’s a major tourist attraction with a visitor center, museum exhibits, and observation platforms.

NASA used the crater for astronaut training before the Apollo moon missions because its terrain is similar to lunar craters.

🧲 Cool extras

Fragments of the meteorite, known as the Canyon Diablo meteorite, have been found in the area.

The crater’s preservation is so good because the desert climate has limited erosion.

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