Meteor Crater in northern Arizona near Winslow is described by NASA as the best-preserved impact crater on Earth and the first to be identified as one caused by something striking the planet from outer space. Nearly one mile across and more than 500 feet deep, the crater was caused by a small meteorite about 80 feet in diameter slamming into Earth 20,000 to 50,000 years ago. The meteorite largely vaporized upon impact, leaving behind only small fragments.
Today, the crater - similar to those on the Moon and Mars - is a laboratory for the study of meteorites, moon and planet development. It also is a hub for earthbound space exploration. Apollo astronauts trained on the site to prepare themselves for the lunar terrain, and NASA has tested its robot hardware there.
It wasn't until 1960 that the scientific community became convinced that the huge hole in the desert was caused by a meteor. That's when Flagstaff geologist Eugene Shoemaker confirmed the theory by discovering that the crater contained minerals that are found only where quartz-bearing rocks have been shocked by a sudden, severe impact. It could not have been created by the eruption of a volcano, as some scientists had theorized. Shoemaker's discovery was considered the first definitive proof of an impact on the Earth's surface by something that came from outer space. Since then, more than 150 impact craters have been identified throughout the world.
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