Barringer Crater or Meteor Crater
Was Visited by the Traveling Webmaster on 17 January 2004.
Pictures Were Taken And Are Included Below.
Number of visitor comments for Barringer Crater or Meteor Crater: 2
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Destination : Barringer Crater or Meteor Crater
Web Address : Yes : Click Here to Visit
Category : Scenic / Park or Forest
Location : City : Winslow State : Arizona
When : Any Year: Spring, Fall or Winter
Reason to Visit : Barringer Crater aka Meteor Crater is more than 4,000 feet in diameter, 570-feet deep hole in the flat desert sandstones.
This hole was made by a ten million ton meteor or asteroid, which came crashing to earth at 40,000 mph, nearly 50,000 years ago.
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 Meteor Crater visitors center displays exhibits, movies and have talks about the crater. Meteor Crater's Museum of Astrogeology gives a presentation on meteor devastation. The largest meteorite ever found in the area is on display to see and touch.
Recent movies such as "Starman" staring Jeff Bridges as the Starman and Karen Allen as Jenny Hayden , Charles Martin and Richard Jaeckel (an old favorite from movies such as "The Dirty Dozen").
Location:
18.6 miles west of Winslow, Arizona along the Interstate 40 highway (Part of the historic Route 66) which crosses and nearly parallels the northern edge of the scene.
Submitted By : The Traveling Webmaster added Barringer Crater or Meteor Crater as I had intended to visit all along.
Visted Yet During This Adventure? :
Yes
Ray Plumlee's Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
When Visited : 17 January 2004
Ray Plumlee's Comments :
The Winslow (Barringer) Meteor Crater is definitely worth seeing. It is a bit out of the way and not near other tourist attractions. But if your going to be anywhere within a hundred miles or so of the Winslow (Barringer) Meteor Crater you should definitely stop by.
The Tourist information center was clean and complete. Had a large gift shop, Subway sandwich shop (and as best as I could tell did not inflate their prices from their regular stores), museum or large display explaining the history of large meteor impacts on the earth and around our solar system. A 15 minute movie (every 30 minutes) that illustrates the history. And a guided walking tour (1/2 mile out and 1/2 mile back along the rim). The theme of the museum was mainly the history of the meteor crater and how it was proven to be a meteor impact site.
Until 1902 it was generally believed the Meteor Crater was the result of some enormous volcanic event. In 1902 Daniel Moreau Barringer provided the first proofs that the crater may of in fact been created by a large meteor or comet impacting the earth.
In 1963, geologist Eugene Shoemaker, after years of studies and excavations, published a paper that indicated the crater was created approximately 50,000 years ago. The meteorite which made it was composed almost entirely of nickel-iron, suggesting that it may have originated in the interior of a small planet. It was 150 feet across, weighed roughly 300,000 tons, and was traveling at a speed of 40,000 miles per hour. The force generated by its impact was equal to the explosion of 20 million tons of TNT.
This belief is now generally accepted by most scientist as the cause.
Below are Photo's/Pictures of my visit to the Barringer Crater or Meteor Crater
Over looking the Winslow (Barringer) Meteor Crater from the North Rim.
Largest meteor piece remaining of the orignial meoteor to create the Winslow (Barringer) Meteor Crater.
Me (Ray Plumlee) at the Winslow (Barringer) Meteor Crater rim (lower platform).
The Have Web Sites Will Travel Truck on the approach to the Winslow (Barringer) Meteor Crater. You can see the tourist information center and the meteor rim in the background.
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