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Buseck Center for Meteorite Studies

Meteor Crater

About 50,000 years ago a ~300,000 ton extraterrestrial visitor slammed into the flat plains of northern Arizona forming a large crater know as Meteor Crater. This 4,000-foot wide and 600-foot deep crater was formed by the Canyon Diablo iron meteorite, and is one of the world’s best-preserved meteorite impact craters.

The Canyon Diablo meteorite was first recognized in 1891 and, to date, over 30 metric tons of material have been recovered.  Even though iron meteorites account for only 5 percent of observed falls, they are more easily recognized than other types of meteorites.

Read more about the Canyon Diablo meteorite here!