Arizona - Meteor Crater (Part 3)

The morning of May 6th greeted us with gusts of wind 20+ miles per hour. Temperatures hovered around 45F (7.2C) so when we woke up we instantly turned on our fireplace inside our coach and enjoyed its glowing warmth. What a beautiful day it would be!

Once I was up and about, I sat outside for a bit and enjoyed the sunshine before heading out to see new sights.

Our plans were to visit the Meteor Crater Park located about 6 miles from our camp.

 

When we got to the park's Welcome Center, I couldn't help but notice how barren it was outside. This "nothingness" stretched for miles into the horizon.

 

The cost of a ticket to enter was $18.00 US per adult and some discounts were accepted, such as AARP and Military. The park is family owned and operated and was advertised as the best preserved meteorite impact site on earth.

Once we purchased our entry tickets, we walked outside and headed towards the crater viewing area. On our way, there were "this and that's" for photo moments such as a NASA test capsule.There was also an Astronaut Wall of Fame. What is the link between NASA and this crater, you may be asking? The topographical terrain of the Meteor Crater so closely resembles that of the moon that NASA made it an official training site for Apollo astronauts. Astronauts still train here today.

You could have a picnic outside on the tables provided (if you don't mind the heat). There was a Subway sandwich shop inside the Gift Shop so you wouldn't have to bring your own food.

The soil is unforgiving and looks lifeless but there was proof of growth and spurts of color to be found. The red sandstone called Moenkopi Sandstone was part of a geological formation that was spread across America in states such as New Mexico, northern Arizona, Nevada, and eastern Utah. For my geology lovers, this sandstone was supposedly laid down in the Lower Triassic to Middle Triassic periods which were around 240 million years ago. 

 

This was a lookout made to resemble a picture window. It made for a great photo moment and gave a great view of the points on the rims in the distance.

Then, there was the massive crater. This was an aerial view of the giant "hole in the ground" that was nearly a mile across, more than 550 feet deep and 2.4 miles in circumference. The Welcome and Discovery Center of the park is the grey building located in the bottom right of this photo.

To give you perspective on just how huge this crater was: a 60 story building could rest on the crater floor and just reach the crater rim. For American football lovers, here is another: the crater floor can hold 20 American football fields and more than 2 million fans could watch from the crater walls!

In 1886, iron-nickel meteorites were found by a sheepherder who did not report his findings until 1891, thinking it was silver. During 1891, the chief geologist of the United States Geological Survey, G.K. Gilbert, briefly visited the crater. He had earlier correctly concluded that the bulk of the craters on the moon were formed by impacts. However, he interpreted the field evidence of Meteor Crater incorrectly saying it was volcanic in origin. For the next two decades, this incorrect idea held fast. In 1902, Daniel Moreau Barringer, a Philadelphia mining engineer, had become interested in the site for mining iron. He eventually formed a company and bought the patents and obtained ownership of the two square miles containing the crater. Barringer eventually became correct in saying the crater was formed by a meteorite collision with earth. Since 1903, Barringer dedicated himself for 26 years to mining for what he believed would be a giant meteorite deep in the earth as proof. Barringer died in 1930 with his dream inspiring others to take up the cause. 

After many years later of modern geological and geophysical exploration techniques, the proof needed was finally obtained. Dr. Eugene Shoemaker, former Chief of the Branch of Astrogeology of the U.S. Geological Survey in Flagstaff, Arizona, proved in 1960, beyond any doubt that Meteor Crater was indeed the product of a giant impact event.

The Crater is family owned and operated by descendants of Barringer who keep Daniel Moreau Barringer's passion alive. The Barringer family makes sizable contributions each year to science and education through grants, scholarships, and special awards.

 

Several free telescopic views were provided from several vantage points. This one was a "house size rock" located on the far side of the crater rim. With the human eye, we could barely see the rock. To realize that this massive boulder was the size of a house...well, it was another awe inspiring moment.

 

Inside the Welcome Center was an Interactive Discovery Center. This was all part of admission. It included more than 25 displays and exhibits and an 80 seat, big screen movie theater with surround sound which featured the movie IMPACT! The Mystery of Meteor Crater. All very educational and fun.

 

 

This was the Holsinger Meteorite which was the largest discovered fragment of the actual 150 foot meteor that created Meteor Crater. Wow! Hard to fathom something so small doing so much damage.

After leaving the amazing Meteor Crater Park, we went back to our campground and began planning ahead (about 3 weeks) on where to stay next and what to see. Having the summer school break upon us and an American holiday at the end of May, campground reservations were going to be hard to secure. That night we took time to gaze at the stars above. It was a glorious end to a spectacular day.

Check out our next destination: Arizona - Pure Americana (Part 4)