JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo
Image

Barringer Meteor Crater, Arizona

Feb 09, 2001
This view acquired by NASA's Landsat 4 satellite on December 14, 1982, shows Barringer Crater, also known as 'Meteor Crater,' a deep hole in the flat-lying desert sandstones west of Winslow, Arizona.

Barringer Crater, also known as "Meteor Crater," is a 1,300-meter (0.8 mile) diameter, 174-meter (570-feet) deep hole in the flat-lying desert sandstones 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) west of Winslow, Arizona. Since the 1890s geologic studies here played a leading role in developing an understanding of impact processes on the Earth, the moon and elsewhere in the solar system.

This view was acquired by the Landsat 4 satellite on December 14, 1982. It shows the crater much as a lunar crater might appear through a telescope. Morning sun illumination is from the southeast (lower right). The prominent gully meandering across the scene is known as Canyon Diablo. It drains northward toward the Little Colorado River and eventually to the Grand Canyon. The Interstate 40 highway crosses and nearly parallels the northern edge of the scene.

The ejecta blanket around the crater appears somewhat lighter than the surrounding terrain, perhaps in part due to its altered mineralogic content. However, foot traffic at this interesting site may have scarred and lightened the terrain too. Also, the roughened surface here catches the sunlight on the southerly slopes and protects a highly reflective patchy snow cover in shaded northerly slopes, further lightening the terrain as viewed from space on this date.

Download JPG
Download TIFF
Target
  • Earth
Spacecraft
  • Landsat
Credit
NASA/JPL

Keep Exploring

Related Topic

News .

Warming Seas Are Accelerating Greenland’s Glacier Retreat

Topic .

Earth

Infographic .

Inside Hurrricanes

News .

NASA, US and European Partner Satellite Returns First Sea Level Measurements

News .

NASA Confirms New SIMPLEx Mission Small Satellite to Blaze Trails Studying Lunar Surface

News .

New Data Confirm 2020 SO to Be the Upper Centaur Rocket Booster From the 1960's

News .

Follow Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich in Real Time As It Orbits Earth

News .

US-European Mission Launches to Monitor the World's Oceans

Video .

NASA and SpaceX Launch U.S.-European Mission to Monitor World’s Ocean

News .

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich Satellite Prepared for Launch

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors of JPL
JPL History
Documentary Series
Virtual Tour
Annual Reports
Missions
All
Current
Past
Future
News
All
Earth
Mars
Solar System
Universe
Technology
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Infographics
Engage
JPL and the Community
Lecture Series
Public Tours
Events
Team Competitions
JPL Speakers Bureau
Topics
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Stars and Galaxies
Exoplanets
Technology
JPL Life
For Media
Contacts and Information
Press Kits
More
Asteroid Watch
Robotics at JPL
Subscribe to Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Manager: Veronica McGregor
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Randal Jackson, Naomi Hartono