Meteor Crater: The Barringer Mystery and the Birth of Impact Science

Explore the Arizona giant known as Meteor Crater: a 3,900‑foot-wide circle formed about 50,000 years ago by a nickel‑iron meteorite whose energy release was around 10 megatons. We trace the early volcanic theory, Barringer’s decades‑long hunt for buried iron, and the decisive Shoemaker discovery of shocked minerals that proved the impact origin. Learn how this privately owned site became a national natural landmark, a training ground for Apollo astronauts, and a cornerstone for understanding craters on the Moon and beyond.

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