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Impact structure

Barringer Crater (Meteor Crater)

The best-preserved impact crater on Earth, gouged out ~50,000 years ago by the Canyon Diablo iron meteorite — the site where the impact origin of craters was first firmly established.

Impact structure

Overview

The best-preserved impact crater on Earth, gouged out ~50,000 years ago by the Canyon Diablo iron meteorite — the site where the impact origin of craters was first firmly established.

Figures are given only where scientifically established; this page describes the event factually, without exaggeration.

Knowledge connections

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

  • NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration

    Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.

    Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.