Barringer Meteor Crater

Barringer Meteor Crater - darkometer rating : 3 - This site has to be regarded as the quintessential meteorite crater on Earth. Located in the desert of Arizona, USA , it's actually the only such impact crater that looks like the ones on the moon. So, strictly speaking, this may not actually be prototypical of the craters on Earth, but nevertheless it looks so dramatic that it's become an icon, the most recognizable shape of its sort. It's been turned into quite a commercialized tourist attraction, with a rather oversized visitor centre, museum, cinema, offers of guided walks along the crater rim and an extensive souvenir shop. > More background info > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations > Photos More background info: The impression of the crater is that it's indeed big – it's nearly a mile (1.6 km) wide and 570 feet (174 m) deep. The reason it hasn't eroded much – hence its moon-like appearance – is the fact that it is relatively young and that it lies in the middle of a dry desert. Other, much bigger impact craters around the world do not usually look anything like the moon's craters because they're older and vegetation and all kinds of erosion has changed their appearance so much that it is often not even an easy task identifying them. The Barringer Crater, however, was formed "only" ca. 50,000 years ago by a meteorite hitting the dry desert plain and leaving a model "moon" crater that is quite unmissable. The meteor(ite) that created the Barringer Crater consisted of nickel-iron weighing ca. 300,000 tons. Fragments of it were found up to 10 miles (15 km) from the crater. It's believed to have been ca.