When viewed out of context,
this photograph of Meteor Crater could be incorrectly identified as being on
Mars rather than in the desert near Winslow, Arizona USA.
This crater was formed
approximately 50,000 years ago when an iron mass, estimated to be about 80 feet
in diameter and weighing over 60,000 tons entered the Earth's atmosphere over
the American Southwest. The resulting formation is about 4,000 feet (1,200
meters) wide and 570 feet (175 meters) deep. For a better understanding of the
size of the crater, the "S" shaped line snaking to the upper right rim of the
crater is a road and the white object at the end of the road is a museum
building.
This formation was the first
of many on Earth to be identified as being of meteoric origin.
