Asteroid Day: A 1.2-Kilometer Crater from a Meteor Impact 50,000 Years Ago

As the world marks Asteroid Day and scientists work on ways to protect Earth from future asteroid impacts, Europe’s Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission has captured an amazing image of a meteor crater that formed 50,000 years ago.

The satellite took a picture of the Barringer Meteorite Crater in Arizona. This impressive geological feature reminds us of the powerful impacts that have shaped our planet’s surface.

About 50,000 years ago, an iron-nickel meteorite, estimated to be 30-50 meters wide, crashed into North America. This collision created a huge bowl-shaped crater over 1,200 meters wide and 180 meters deep. The Barringer Meteorite Crater as seen from space. (Photo: ESA)

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

When the meteor hit the Earth, it threw millions of tons of limestone and sandstone into the air, spreading debris over a kilometer in all directions.

The European Space Agency (ESA) notes that one of the crater’s most unique features is its squared-off shape. This shape is believed to be due to flaws in the rock that caused the impact site to peel back in four directions.

The dry desert climate has kept this unique formation well-preserved, making it a valuable site for studying how impact craters form.

The Sentinel-2 image gives a wide view of the crater and its surrounding landscape, providing scientists with a detailed look at this ancient impact site. The crater’s preservation allows for ongoing studies into the geological processes that shape Earth and other planets in our solar system. The violent impact created a bowl-shaped hole over 1,200 meters across. (Photo: ESA)

To better understand and prevent potential asteroid threats, the ESA has been tracking and studying near-Earth objects for the past 20 years.

The agency plans to launch its Flyeye telescopes, which have a special compound eye design to better detect potentially dangerous asteroids.

Additionally, ESA’s Hera spacecraft, set to launch later this year, will closely explore asteroids. This mission aims to improve our knowledge of these space rocks and help develop future asteroid deflection strategies.

Published By: Sibu Kumar Tripathi Published On: Jul 1, 2024