Meteor Crater – The World's Best Preserved Meteorite Impact Site

About 50,000 years ago on the high desert plain that is now northern Arizona

, a pinpoint of light appeared in the sky. In the blink of an eye, this pinpoint became a raging fireball, flying straight toward the earth.

In a flash of blinding light, it hit. The earth and the air around it shuddered with the impact. It hit the ground at 26,000 miles an hour. The impact was like 20 million tons of TNT exploding. The rock and metals that it didn't vaporize or melt on impact were thrown all over the desert plain.

This object from outer space was a meteorite from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter that was thrown off course by a catastrophic collision. It left a 550 foot deep hole in the desert plateau. This massive hole in the earth is the Barringer Meteor Crater.

Meteor Crater is the world's best preserved meteor crater site. Discovered by pioneering explorers in the southwest, it is now one of the region's main tourist attractions. Located in northern Arizona between Flagstaff and Winslow on I-40, it's not far from the Grand Canyon and other unique attractions in the area.

The crater's rim stands 150 feet above the desert floor. Perched at its top overlooking the crater is the Meteor Crater Visitor Center. The visitor center has both outdoor and indoor observation decks that allow you a closer look at the impact crater. It also has a large chunk of the meteor on display which you can actually touch.

The visitor center is an extensive collection of artifacts, exhibits and interactive displays about meteors, planets, space exploration and the solar system. Because the Apollo Space Mission astronauts trained for the first moon walk at Meteor Crater, it is full of information about the mission. There is an actual test capsule used during their training, as well as the Astronaut Wall of Fame, which walks you through the history of the space program.

One of the best attractions is the film "Collisions and Impacts," shown twice an hour in the center's wide-screen theater. "Collisions and Impacts" recreates the experience of the meteorite slamming into the earth using high tech graphics and realistic sound. It's an experience you won't want to miss.

Meteor Crater is a unique attraction where you can see what happens when a meteorite hits the earth. In addition to its visitor center and crater viewing, it also has an excellent gift shop full of goods you won't find anywhere else, and a comfortable and scenic RV park and campground for folks who want to spend the night stargazing.

Meteor Crater The World's Best Preserved Meteorite Impact Site

By: Greg Scott

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