It’s seldom I get to take something off my bucket list, but I was able to in March by visiting Meteor Crater in Northern Arizona near Winslow.

Let me tell you that pictures do not do justice to seeing it in person. Approximately 50,000 years ago a giant meteor weighing several hundred thousands tons struck the earth, creating a large crater. The crater is approximately 4000 feet across and 570 feet deep. The meteor crater is known as the Barringer Meteor crater.

The crater was a training site for Apollo Astronauts from 1963 thru 1970 because the surface of the crater is not unlike the moon. Visitors, including Bonnie and I, take the rim tour that goes out about a quarter mile on a walking trail. It was a very windy walk, but very enjoyable with an informative guide.

Inside the visitor center are a number of great displays as well as the largest meteorite piece found from the meteor that created meteor crater. Very few pieces were found within the crater itself, but were dispersed over approximately 30 miles. Thousands of meteorite pieces have been found especially in the Canyon Diablo area west of the crater. These, generally small bits of this Iron/Nickel space chunk (Canyon Diablo Meteorites) are still readily available from dealers.

There are interesting stories of the crater exploration, including Daniel Barringer, a geologist, forming the Standard Iron Company; drilling down in the center to find iron he thought was going to be there (1903 and 1905). Nothing, of course, of value was there. I mentioned the rim trail, and it leads to the ruins of Barringer’s house on the crater’s rim.

There are several viewing platforms at the site. The crater is still owned by the Barringer family. The crater is not far off I-40. I enjoy different kinds of rocks and have made jewelry from meteorites of different localities. This is all so Out of This World! A cool place, I’m glad we got to go there.