Meteor Crater USA Postcard

Meteor Crater, also known as Barringer Crater, is a massive meteorite impact crater located in the desert of northern Arizona, USA. Formed roughly 50,000 years ago during the Pleistocene epoch, the crater was created by the impact of a nickel-iron meteorite estimated to be about 150 feet across. The resulting bowl-shaped depression measures nearly one mile in diameter and reaches a depth of over 550 feet, making it one of the best-preserved impact sites on Earth. Because of its pristine condition, Meteor Crater has served as an invaluable site for scientific research and planetary study. During the 1960s and 1970s, NASA famously used the rugged, otherworldly terrain to train Apollo astronauts, preparing them for the stark lunar landscape they would encounter on the moon. Today, it stands as a breathtaking natural landmark that offers visitors a powerful glimpse into the cosmic history of our planet.